I Belong to You
by Erik'sangel527
Summary: To fulfill his desires, Erik Destler kidnaps Christine Daae on a cool autumn night. But as he soon finds out, Christine refuses to belong to anyone. Who will win? The kidnapper or the victim? Or will fate make the decision for them? Modern day, E/C
1. Prologue

_**This story was given to me by another authoress on this site- HungrySoprano. It will forever be hers, but because life is not dealing her a fair hand lately, she has asked me to take over. I feel very honored. I think this is a great story so far. Hopefully, given time, I can continue to keep it great. I have ideas. I just hope my ideas come across well. The first seven chapters are HungrySoprano's. I will not change them. Chapter eight and everything after that will be mine. **_

**Full Summary (written by HungrySoprano):**

After only a year of voice lessons, Erik Destler asks for Christine Daae's hand in marriage. Although Erik has been planning the proposal for quite some time, Christine is completely unprepared for such a question by a man she knows only through lessons. She declines his proposal, which drives Erik to do the only thing he thinks possible. He kidnaps Christine on a cool autumn night.

A series of events unfolds with Erik trying to get Christine to fall in love with him and Christine trying to escape, but each attempt proves to be a failure. Christine knows she has to make Erik see that he can't control her and that she doesn't belong to him. But, the more she tries to attain her goal, the more she gets to know the workings of his mind.

So, who will win? The kidnapper or the victim? Or, perhaps it is out of their control. Perhaps the victor is 'fate'.

* * *

**Prologue**

Erik Destler and Christine Daae could remember the moment clearly. It was the moment everything changed in their lives…

IIIIIII

"Will you marry me?" Erik asked using a low tone.

Christine's hand stilled. She blinked and then blinked again before looking up at him from her seated position. _What did he just say? _All was silent for about three seconds before she cleared the air with a bit of laughter. "Very funny, Mr. Destler.." His eyes were glued to her face, and from what she could see, he was very serious. An awkwardness filled the music room and her brow furrowed. "Um, ok, where were we?" she asked, her eyes returning to the check she had previously been writing. "So, I owe you money for the past four voice lessons for a total of 200 dollars, right?" She could feel his intense stare and reluctantly raised her head to look at him for an answer.

"You didn't answer my question, Christine. And for the last time, please call me Erik." His tone was still low, and his eyes were still watching her.

She didn't know what to say. This was.. bizarre. Completely bizarre. "I-I don't know what to say-"

Before she could speak further, Erik interrupted, "Say yes. _Please_, Christine."

Before she was even aware of her own actions, Christine was grabbing her purse and moving towards the door. "Mr. Destler, this is.. _really _inappropriate." She studied his masked face before shaking her head. "I don't even know you. I-I have a boyfriend. And aside from that, you're my _teacher_."

Erik could feel and see her slipping away from him. Desperately, he attempted to persuade her. "The music we've created. Think of it, Christine. Think of what we've done together. And think of what we will be able to do together once we are married."

"You make it sound like I've said 'yes'," Christine said in horror. His words were sinking in more and more. "What are you even thinking? You don't know me. You don't-"

For the second time, Erik interrupted. This time, he announced with passion, "I love you. I love you, Christine. More than anything."

Now he was really scaring her. _Love? Love? _She turned and practically ran to the door. Before opening it, leaving, and never coming back, Christine turned and said, "Look, Mr. Destler, I don't know why you're doing this. I guess I'll never know.. I can't see you anymore." Her eyes looked around the room she'd always thought was so beautiful. Then, she shook her head and left, slamming the door shut on her way out. She raced towards the front door of his house praying he wouldn't try to stop her from leaving. Once she was outside, she sprinted to her car and drove away.

Erik was left standing in his music room looking at the place where she had been standing moments before. His plan hadn't worked. The look on her face.. He staggered towards the piano bench and sat down. _I thought.. I had hoped.. _His dreams were shattered.

How was he to have known that she didn't feel as he felt? She'd come to him a year ago for voice lessons, and throughout that year, his feelings towards her had grown and grown. Erik was certain she felt the same. There were signs, the most important being her ability to make him feel like a man. She had always treated him with respect. It was obvious that she truly admired him… or so he had thought.

But no. Of course not. How could anyone admire a monster? Her rejecting words replayed through his mind as tears invaded his eyes. Erik stared at a piece of music Christine had been singing for him a mere ten minutes ago.

Her beautiful voice, the voice he had created, would never be heard in his home again. That thought made his eyes widen. The very thought of never hearing her voice again or seeing her smile or hearing her laugh brought new feelings to the surface. He wasn't sad anymore. Now, he was angry. _How dare she? My words should not have come as such a shock! My feelings have been obvious, have they not? _Most of his anger was directed to one specific thing, though. _She has a boyfriend. _Oh, how he wished to destroy the boy, whoever he was.

_Christine… Christine… _The desperation he had felt when she was still in the room was returning. _I'll do anything to be with her. Anything. But she does not want me…_

A gasp escaped his lips as an answer appeared. His eyes glistened. _Of course! She only thinks she will never see me again. Oh, how wrong she is to think that._

IIIIIII

And it was the very next day that Christine Daae was announced missing.

* * *

**Please review! It would please both HungrySoprano and me to receive some feedback :)**

**-Lauren**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was a rather chilly Thursday evening, and Christine was busy having her daily phone conversation with her boyfriend.

"I'll see you tomorrow, baby," Robert said while holding his cell phone to his ear. He waited for Christine to return the words.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," Christine said, her cell phone pressed to her ear. A peaceful smile adorned her face.

"Have a good night."

"You too."

"Bye."

"Bye." Christine ended the call and sighed, basking in the happiness that Robert always brought to the surface. And after the voice lesson she'd had earlier in the day, she was definitely in need of such happiness.

After a moment, she sighed again, but this time it was layered with stress and exhaustion. _Mr. Destler, why did you have to ruin everything? _It was the umpteenth time she'd inwardly had that thought. But her thoughts on the situation were inward and nothing more. She hadn't told anyone about what had occurred, not Robert, not her parents, and not even her best friend, Meg. Though she wished to share the story and get some advice, something inside her wouldn't let it happen.

_I have to get my mind off it. It happened, yeah, but I'll never see him again so it doesn't matter. _Christine's blue eyes were sad as she stared up at her bedroom ceiling. Their voice lessons had always been so wonderful… It was because of Erik Destler that she had the best voice in her school choir, and it was because of him that she knew exactly what she wanted to do after high school. It was only October of her senior year, yet she already knew what she wanted to major in- vocal performance.

Closing her eyes, she recalled their first voice lesson, which had occurred one year ago to the day.

IIIIIII

"_106 Suttler Drive," Christine mumbled while looking at a mail box that held the number and street name. She drove up the driveway admiring the house she would soon be entering. It was a tastefully decorated two-story. Everything looked to be well-kept, which had the ability to calm her nerves. She was soon to have her first voice lesson with a man she'd never met before, and she was nervous. _

_It was her high school choir director, Nadir Kahn, and his piano accompanist, Marie Giry, who had recommended this man named Erik Destler. Supposedly, he was the best of the best. Strangely, though, not many people knew of him. In fact, he only had five voice students. Christine knew why that was, though. She'd been warned that the man wore a mask that covered the entirety of his face. Initially, that information had freaked her out, but Mr. Kahn and Mrs. Giry had immediately told her the reason behind it. The man suffered from a facial deformity. They didn't go into detail about it, but it did lessen her worry to know that the mask was there for a specific reason. Her emotional response to the information was a feeling of pity. Christine pitied the man she'd never seen before._

_She'd also been warned that he was incredibly strict but that she shouldn't dwell on it. He was a perfectionist. Mr. Kahn seemed to think that, with a voice as good as hers, Erik Destler wouldn't need to be strict. Christine wasn't nearly as confident as her choir director, though._

_Pushing aside her apprehension, Christine approached the front door and rang the door bell._

_When the door opened and the man was revealed before her eyes, she could only stare. He gave off a serious, graceful air she'd never seen in anyone before. He was tall, over 6'4, she was sure of it, and he was dressed impeccably in a black suit. His hair was nearly black and slicked back in a proper way, but none of those things were what she was really paying attention to. Oddly, when she looked at his face, it wasn't his mask that she first saw. It was his eyes. They were a piercing goldish color.. She'd never seen eyes like his before. After assessing his appearance, she inwardly described it in one word- intimidating._

_He seemed to be assessing her appearance, as well, and she wondered what he was thinking. A moment later, he blinked and spoke for the first time. "Come in," were his first words. He moved aside so that she could enter._

_Christine couldn't help but notice the spectacular tone quality of his speaking voice. 'Whoa,' she thought in amazement. He had one of those voices that she knew could at once be incredibly soothing but could also incredibly harsh. Either way, such a voice would definitely have an impact on anyone._

_He led her through the house, and she admired everything they walked past, from the paintings on the walls to the antique furniture and expensive curio cabinets resting on the hardwood floors. Everything was so beautiful. Christine felt out of place in her school clothes, which consisted of a blouse and jeans. _

_Before she had time to prepare herself, they entered the loveliest room she'd ever had the privilege of entering. It was the music room._

"_Let's begin," he announced in a business-like way._

_Christine didn't have time to look around the room, for he was already sitting at his grand piano and gesturing for her to stand nearby. They began warm-ups. She was completely unfamiliar with any of the vocal warm-ups he was instructing her on, but luckily he seemed to think her voice was already limber enough from singing at school and stopped her after only a short time._

_The important part of the lesson proved to be the most challenging thing she'd ever experienced in all her life. His stern teachings were so intense that she felt she could do nothing right._

"_Again," he would demand after only a few seconds of singing. "Again," he would interrupt. 'Again' was the only word he spoke for fifty minutes. Fifty minutes of repetition was both frustrating and tiring. _

_By the end of the lesson, Christine was more than a little agitated. It seemed she could do nothing right, and it seemed he only had one word in his entire vocabulary, so she was shocked when began saying something other than 'again'._

"_Next time will be different." His tone seemed indifferent. It made Christine wonder how she had ever thought it was so exquisite. "Be prepared for me to say more than one word."_

_She nodded tensely, still angry about the lesson. His next action was startling and caused her mouth to gape open slightly._

_Erik Destler chuckled. It was the most beautiful sound to ever grace Christine's ears. "Ms. Daae, I sense your hostility. Are you mad at me?" he asked curiously._

_A fierce blush covered her cheeks as embarrassment replaced her previous anger. "No," she replied sheepishly. _

_His serious façade took over again. "Very well. Let me walk you to the door." As he led her to the front of the house, he said, "I expect you to have this song memorized for next time." _

_Christine reached for the sheet music and nodded. "Ok."_

"_Have a good day, Ms. Daae," he said simply before opening the door._

"_You too," Christine returned before walking outside and to her car. She was worn out, to say the least. But also, she was curious, incredibly curious. She had a goal: to become comfortable and confident around Erik Destler. _

IIIIIII

The memory faded from her mind, and she let out another sigh. Truthfully, Christine felt on the verge of tears. Over the past year, she'd learned so much. She really had become both comfortable and confident around Mr. Destler. So why couldn't that be enough? How in the world could he claim to 'love' her? She'd tried to come up with answers to her question. She'd tried to think of any signs, anything that should have led her to believe that he was in love with her… But there was nothing. He had always been business-like and proper. '_I love you, Christine. More than anything.' _She shuddered while his words replayed again and again.

Her cell phone suddenly rang, and she returned to the real world. The distraction was definitely welcome. Answering the call, she said, "Hey Meg," as cheerfully as she could. Meg had always been extremely intuitive, but she couldn't let her know about the voice lesson.

"Hey Christine!" Meg exclaimed.

Her blonde-haired friend was always so bubbly. "What's up?" she asked while forcing herself to focus on their conversation.

"Well, I'm assuming you've already talked to Robert?"

Christine laughed. "Yep, the daily phone conversation just ended a few minutes ago. You're wondering what's happening this weekend, right?" she asked knowingly.

"You know me too well," Meg replied jokingly.

Each weekend, on Friday or Saturday, Meg, her boyfriend Jason, Christine, and Robert always went on double dates. One week it would be Meg and her boyfriend who would decide what to do, and the next week it would be Christine and Robert. This week, it was Christine and Robert's turn. "Well, Robert and I talked about going bowling. What do you think?"

Meg grinned. "That sounds great! We haven't done that in forever."

"Yeah, I know. We were thinking about going tomorrow night."

"Sounds good." There was a pause before Meg said in a rush, "Oh, Jason's calling. I'll see you at school tomorrow. Bye!"

The call ended and Christine was left alone with her thoughts again. It was nearing 6:00pm. Her parents would be home from work in about a half hour. Then, they could serve as distractions. That thought caused her usually happy mood to return and she sat up. "Time for a jog," she announced to herself. This time every night, Christine took a jog around the neighborhood.

Just the thought of jogging and listening to her Ipod was enough to lift her spirits. She changed into work-out clothes and tennis shoes before pulling her hair back, grabbing her Ipod, and leaving the house.

Everything seemed the same as usual. She jogged past a few houses until she reached the part of her neighborhood that was under construction. There weren't any houses yet, so there weren't any people or cars around.

A song from the musical, _Jekyll and Hyde _came on, and Christine continued to jog.

Then, suddenly, out of nowhere it seemed, a man was in front of her. She ran right into him, but the impact didn't jostle his tall form at all. Christine shrieked in surprise before lifting her eyes to meet his.

It wasn't just any man…

It was the one man she couldn't get off her mind…

It was Erik.

The next moment was a blur. Her shirt sleeve was being lifted and she vaguely heard the words, "Forgive me," before feeling a sharp pinch in her upper arm. It was obviously a needle of some kind, but that thought quickly dissolved. In fact, everything was dissolving.

Christine's knees began to shake before giving out completely, and the last thing she remembered was the feel of him catching her before she could fall.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reviewing! Please continue reviewing :)**

**-Lauren  
**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

IIIIIII

_It was a beautiful spring afternoon, but Erik wasn't noticing that. He was waiting impatiently for Christine to arrive for her voice lesson. He paced the foyer of his home and looked down at his watch multiple times. After three minutes of continuing the same routine, the door bell finally rang signaling Christine's arrival. Erik moved to the door and opened it, a sigh of relief escaping him as soon as his eyes met hers. Her fresh appearance and cheerful expression could brighten anyone's day, and it most certainly always had an effect on him. "Good afternoon, Christine."_

_She smiled at him and casually said, "Hi, Mr. Destler," before walking inside._

_Erik was unusually excited on this particular day. This voice lesson was going to be different. For the first time, she would be singing new music he had written especially for her. _

_In actuality, he was incredibly nervous.. What would she think of his music? He even wondered if he should tell her it was his composition, that he had written it. He most certainly wouldn't reveal that he had written it for her. That would bring up unwanted questions, such as why he had written it with her in mind. Erik didn't quite know the answer to that. He only knew that she was.. important. She was a shining star in a vast sea of dull singers. It was nothing more than that. No, his feelings only went as far as her voice, no further. Or, well, that was what he always told himself.. _

_Her words made him sigh. 'Why must she always refer to me as 'Mr. Destler'?' Without being able to hold back, he corrected her. "My name is Erik, Christine. You do not always have to be so formal, you know." He made sure to keep his tone amiable, so as not to alarm her, although he was a little alarmed himself. None of his students called him 'Erik'. He'd never wanted any of them to. Christine was different, though. She had always been different, ever since that first day back six months ago... Yes, he knew the exact moment she had come into his life. But it was only her voice that mattered to him, nothing more! If that was the case, though, then why did he wish for her to refer to him as 'Erik'? Her laughter caused to him to blink, coming out of his thoughts._

"_Oh, right. Sorry."_

"_There is no need to apologize," Erik assured her with a warm smile. "I only think it is fair that you call me by my first name since I call you by yours."_

"_I'll try to remember that.. Erik." Her eyes seemed to gaze into his when she spoke his name, as if she had put feeling into the spoken word._

_His eyes widened briefly when she said it while looking at him in such a way… He nodded somewhat mechanically, still stunned, and led her to the music room so that they could begin their lesson._

IIIIIII

Erik smiled to himself as the memory faded. That day had been highly significant, for that was the day that he was certain he'd fallen in love with her. She'd spoken his name for the first time. Actually, that had been the _only _time she'd ever spoken his name. What he wouldn't give to hear her say it again.

And he would. He would hear her beautiful voice say his name again and again, because she would be his. Soon, in a couple of hours, she would be with him. Forever. Erik had it all planned out. He would interrupt her daily jog, the daily jog he himself had instructed her to take during a voice lesson so long ago. Exercise helped with breath support, so she had been all too willing to take his advice. It was a good thing, too, since it was soon to be the key to his plans.

He would interrupt her jog, and everything else would be a quick but careful process. Unfortunately, sedation would be necessary, for it was clear that she would never come to him willingly. Erik was almost past caring, though. He was so obsessed with his plan that the thought of forcing her into unconsciousness wouldn't faze him.

Then, once she was unconscious, he would place her in the back seat of his car and drive away. They wouldn't be going to his house. No, Erik couldn't take that chance. Christine was sure to have told someone about the voice lesson, so someone would immediately suspect him of taking her.

It didn't matter, though. No one would know where they were headed. They were going to a house Erik had built for the very purpose of 'getting away from the world'. No one knew of its existence. He and Christine could finally be alone with only their love and music.

It was everything Erik had ever wanted.

Two hours passed quickly while Erik made preparations. He gathered his necessary belongings, which consisted mainly of necessities for her. Clothing, shoes, sheets for bedding, toiletries… And he also included several other things he knew she was fond of: makeup, although he never thought her perfect face needed it, a manicure set, hair products, some of her favorite books, and a journal. She would be so happy.

Everything was set, and now it was time to carry out his plan. With a mischievous smile, he started his car, pulled out of the driveway, and headed towards Christine's neighborhood.

It wouldn't be the first time he'd seen her jog. Her daily routine had always fascinated him, so, after he knew he'd fallen in love with her, he had treated himself to watching her on a number of occasions. He could watch her for all eternity, and in only a short time his dream would come true.

His hands tightened on the steering wheel as excitement coursed through his veins. There weren't any doubts in his mind now. This was the only way they could be together, and that was all that mattered. He made a left at a stop sign in her neighborhood and found her only a moment after making the turn.

_There,_ he inwardly thought as his eyes came in contact with the back of her petite form. _At last.. _

It all happened very quickly, in Erik's opinion. Much quicker than it had been to actually make the plans. Of course, it was because his plans were so flawless and secure that it took such a short time.

He stopped the car without turning off the ignition, made sure the injection she would soon receive was in his left hand, and opened his car door. Then, he ran towards her until he was directly in front of her. She was listening to music, which at any other time would have made him smile. Not today, though. Everything came as a huge surprise to her. In fact, she ran right into him. Erik loved it. She screamed, which surprisingly came as a soothing delight to his ears. He assumed it was because he hadn't heard her voice in a few hours and was longing to hear any sound she could make. When her eyes met his and became wide with surprise, he knew he had to take action immediately, lest she put up a fight.

Quickly lifting the shirt sleeve off her delicate skin, the skin he adored, he softly and sincerely murmured, "Forgive me," before regretfully piercing the skin he loved with the needle in his left hand. She passed out within seconds, and he caught her before she could fall.

The girl he loved was finally nestled in his arms. It was the first time he'd ever held her. A mixture of emotions washed through him. _This is right, everything is right. _Erik had never been so elated. Carrying out the rest of his plan would be easy enough now that she was with him.

He carried her to his car and gently laid her on the back seat. Erik even placed a pillow under her ethereal head, ensuring her comfort. He couldn't buckle her seatbelt, though, and that was concerning. He hadn't given that a thought ahead of time. But there was nothing he could do. He would just have to drive slowly and carefully, for the car now held precious cargo. His heart seemed to melt at the thought and his eyes glistened. "Do not worry, my love. I will drive using every ounce of caution I possess," he whispered.

Suddenly, he saw a car turn right at the stop sign he had previously turned left at. A possessive protectiveness filled his entire body. He'd never felt so determined to keep her safe. The feeling was so new and so, so powerful that he nearly choked. His body stiffened. One thought repeated itself in his mind. _It is a wonder no one saw me take her. _That was one part of the plan Erik hadn't been thorough enough in dealing with, and it pained him to know that the entire kidnapping could have been a failure.

His eyes looked down at his unconscious beloved, and fresh self-hatred overcame him for his carelessness. _Damn! I nearly destroyed my own arrangements! _Erik would not forgive himself so easily.

Now was not the time to dwell on his mistakes, though. They had to leave. After one last thorough check to make sure she was comfortable, he closed the car door and situated himself in the driver's seat before driving away, making sure to keep his promise to her. _Slowly, carefully.._

Unknown to Erik, there was also another mistake he'd made… On the street behind him lay the very Ipod Christine had been listening to. It had slipped from her hand during the struggle. Somehow, Erik had overlooked that certain belonging.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Christine?" Norah Daae called as she walked inside their house having just gotten home from work. She entered the kitchen and placed her purse and coat on the kitchen table. "Christine?" she called again, louder than before. No answer came, to which she whispered, "Hmm.." _She must still be jogging. _That wasn't too odd. Her daughter was somewhat obsessed with the outdoor activity, after all. It wasn't unlike her to jog for over an hour sometimes.

Norah made her way to the telephone and dialed her husband's phone number. "John, hi honey," she said when he answered the call. "I know you're on your way home. Christine's not here, so I was thinking you might want to drive around the neighborhood to find her. It's nearly dark and getting colder. I just don't want her to catch a cold or anything." After hanging up the phone, she walked upstairs to change out of her work clothes.

Fifteen minutes later, John Daae entered the house frowning. "Norah, I couldn't find her. I drove around the neighborhood five times."

Norah's face matched his own. "That's strange.. Christine?" she called one more time. No answer. "Um," she began while thinking. "Let's.. check her bedroom. Maybe she fell asleep and isn't hearing me?" She could only hope that was the case.

She wasn't in her bedroom. The Daae's were becoming frantic. Christine's car was still in the driveway, so she couldn't have gone anywhere.. Robert was the first person to call.

"Robert? It's Norah Daae, Ch-Christine's mom," Norah began urgently.

Robert could sense that something wasn't right. "Hi, Mrs. Daae. Is everything ok?"

Anxiously, Norah said, "Please tell me Christine is with you."

He shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, but she's not here."

"Oh, God…"

Now Robert was beginning to panic. "You mean.. you can't find her?"

"No," Norah replied, her heart hammering in her chest. "John and I can't find her anywhere."

"I-I talked to her earlier, not too long ago actually. She sounded fine. Wait, she usually takes a jog around this time. Did you-?"

"John already looked for her on his way home, but he couldn't find her. He's out looking for her again right now." Norah shook her head. "I have to make some other calls. Thank you for your help. We'll let you know if we-.. I mean _when _we find her." She hung up the phone and picked it up again. It was time to call Meg.

IIIIIII

John Daae searched the streets as he drove slowly around the neighborhood. _Where are you, Christine? _His car had reached the part of the neighborhood that was under construction. He'd been this way seven times already and hadn't found anything-.. Something suddenly gained his attention.

"What's-?" John got out of his car and approached a small object that was lying on the road. It was an Ipod, and it was very familiar looking. _What if… _Quickly, he picked it up with a shaky hand and pushed the connected ear buds into his ears. It was still on. Opera music came through clearly, causing John to gasp. It was Christine's Ipod he was holding. Somehow it had fallen from her hand while she was jogging, he knew… What he was also beginning to know, though, was that something very bad had happened to his daughter. "No," he whispered while unwanted images filled his head of what could have occurred.

His heart was pounding as he got back into his car and sped home. Their daughter was in _real _danger.

IIIIIII

She felt too numb to move. She literally felt numb. She couldn't talk. She could barely even move her eyelids. _What the-..? _

Christine let out a moan. The strange sound of it was alarming, but not nearly as alarming as not being able to open her own eyes. Not only was it alarming, but it was also scary as hell. _What's wrong with me? _As quickly as the question entered her mind, so did the answer. _Erik. _She let out another moan, but this one wasn't nearly as lethargic as the other one had been.

_He found you while you were jogging, he drugged you, he kidnapped you! _"No!" Christine yelled, finally finding her voice. Her eyes fluttered open and her hands clenched some sort of fabric that was covering her body. Darkness surrounded her. She couldn't see anything.

"You're awake," a voice to her left said. There was definitely no question whose voice it was. "Thank goodness," he continued softly. He sounded utterly relieved, which was the exact opposite of how Christine was feeling.

Not only was she panicked about her situation, but on top of everything else, she also couldn't see. _What if-? What if I-? _"I-I can't see!" she choked out. Christine didn't recognize her voice at all. And to make matters even worse, she was beginning to cry.

"Shhh," came his soothing voice. "Shh, my angel. You can see. Here." A moment later, a lamp to her left was turned on. Some light filled the room. "There. Now that's better, right?" Christine was well aware of the way he was speaking to her, as if she were a child. It was more than a little annoying. More than that, it was confusing.

Turning her head to the left, she finally looked at him. Erik Destler was sitting in a chair beside her bed just staring at her. Was he waiting for her to speak? Well, she didn't even know where to begin. _Do I cuss him out? Do I beg for him to take me home? Do I get angry? Do I cry? What do I do?? _

"I see that you are trying to think of what to say," Erik said calmly. "Well, if I may, allow me to speak first." His eyes took on a weird intensity, and he let out a long sigh. "Christine, do not look so terrified. You know me, after all. I would never harm you. You know that."

Her face did relax a bit. He was right. She did know him. But that wasn't beneficial in any sort of way. Well, perhaps it was.. The knowledge was having the power to clear her head, at least. "Don't lie."

The two words were spoken harshly, to which Erik's brow furrowed underneath his mask. "Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"You've already hurt me." Her right hand reached over to touch her left arm. "Don't think I don't remember that needle!"

Her voice was becoming louder with each spoken word. Erik shook his head. "It was necessary, Christine. You would not have come any other way."

"You're damn right I wouldn't!" She actually growled. "What in the hell is the matter with you, anyway? Kidnapping a high schooler? What kind of sick psychopath are you?" Feeling much stronger now, Christine sat up. "Don't you know you've broken the law? I mean, come on! This is ridiculous!" She was seething. Taking a deep breath to calm down some, she lifted the sheets off her body and made to get up off the bed.

Her words hurt a little, but not enough to cause damage. She was upset. Who wouldn't be? But she would soon see... Erik sighed as he watched her try to stand. His angel was still weak from the drug he'd given her. It wasn't time for her to move around just yet. "Calm down, Christine. You're still weak. Just lay back down so that we can talk about this rationally." His words were meant to ease her mind, but that obviously wasn't the case, though she did stop moving.

Turning towards him, Christine glared. "Rationally? Rationally?! You don't even know the meaning of the word! And don't tell me to calm down! You've screwed up big time, don't you know that?! You just wait until people find out about this-"

"Please stop yelling, Christine," he interrupted, his tone louder and more persistent than it had been. "I suppose we should settle one matter first. Yes, people will suspect me, especially since you have revealed what happened during our voice lesson. But they will never find us."

"What?" she hissed.

"Well, my dear, did you honestly expect us to be staying in my home? We're not in Kansas anymore, my sweet," he joked while flashing a small smile.

"Stop with the nicknames! I'm not your 'dear' or your 'sweet'! And what do you mean? We're not at your house? Where are we, then?" _Shit, should I really start worrying? _Knowing Erik from past experience might have been making this easier, but her confidence was beginning to waver.

"Well, I'm not so sure I should tell you that. You obviously have trouble keeping things to yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

_Her feistiness is extremely appealing_, Erik inwardly decided. "How many people did you tell? Did you tell your _boyfriend_?"

Christine could feel the hatred he held for Robert. His tone scared her. "I didn't tell anybody," she said, her voice a little shaky. From the looks of it, he didn't believe her. "I really didn't. Nobody knows what happened."

"How can I be sure?" He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair slightly. "Not that it really matters. We are far away from all of them."

_I've had enough of this! _Moving towards the right side of the bed since he was on the left, she stood. A wave of dizziness immediately washed over her, and she leaned against the bed for support. Erik was beside her instantly. "Get away from me!"

"I told you not to move," he said worriedly.

"Like I'm going to listen to what you say!" she shouted sarcastically. A miserable groan escaped her dry lips. "Why did you have to drug me?" she asked. "Why did you have to do any of this? Things were going so well. You were my voice teacher. We were making so much progress.. You've ruined everything." He didn't speak, and Christine glanced in his direction to see what was up. Erik was looking down at her with an unreadable expression, though that was mainly due to the mask. "What in the world do you want from me, Erik?"

She'd said his name. The angel had said his name! He couldn't bask in the joy that brought, though. "Isn't it obvious?" He paused. "No? Well, alright then, I will tell you." After another pause, he said with conviction, "I want your love, Christine. I want your undying devotion. I love you with every fiber of my being. We belong together, don't you see? The love I feel for you has no limits. I may be a decade older than you, yes, but it makes no difference." Erik got to his knees while Christine watched with wide, surprised eyes. "Will you stay with me, Christine? Please? Stay and I can give you the world."

His speech ended, and Christine could only watch him in shock. The man was crazy! Creepy and crazy!

There was something hopeful that had come from what he'd said, though. It seemed he was giving her a choice, an option of whether to stay with him or not. Of course, her answer was obvious, but maybe it would be to her benefit to give a kind, gentle reply… "I'm sorry, but I can't stay with you. I… can't. You don't want me, Erik. I mean, you don't even really know me. If you let me go, if you take me back home, we can forget this ever happened. Please, Erik. People need me." _Come on, say you'll take me back.. _

Continuing to stay on his knees, Erik said, "In actuality, I am the only person who needs you. Everyone else is of little importance." He was mainly referring to that boy she liked to call her 'boyfriend'. "Why must you think I don't want you? Haven't I made it clear that you are the only person I have ever wanted? I do know you, Christine. I know you both inside and out. Music can be very powerful, we both know that, and I know you because of it." He finally stood and reached out to pat the top of her head. "So no, to answer your question, I cannot take you back. I belong to you, you belong to me." The pained look on her face made him wish to kiss her worries away. "Oh, how I wish you could see things the way I do. Soon, you will."

"Don't do this!" Christine pleaded desperately. "I want to go home! You can't keep me here! I don't belong to you!"

Erik rubbed his temples. "My sweet angel… This is your home now, I _can _keep you here, and you do belong to me. Now, I will leave you to your thoughts. Good night, my love." He hurried out the door and closed it.

Christine heard a click. _He locked me in. _Her body began to shake due to anger and the after-effects of whatever he'd drugged her with. For several moments, she stared down at the bed while taking in everything that had happened. _He's serious. He's not going to let me go. I thought I knew him… Why is this happening to me? _Her emotions were so overwhelming that she felt nauseous.

For the first time, she looked around the room, but she was really only looking for one thing- a bathroom. When her eyes found the intended door, she hurriedly dragged herself towards it. She really was going to puke.. Christine got on her knees on the tiled floor and leaned over the toilet. She then proceeded to throw up.

Some time passed before she finally pulled herself up off the floor and leaned over the bathroom sink. A mirror showed that she was pale and sick-looking. She wiped away tears and mascara while still staring at herself in the mirror. Christine couldn't bring herself to stop staring, and it was because of the emotions that were displayed on her face. Confusion, sadness, self-pity, and hopelessness. That last emotion made her eyes narrow. Hopelessness? That was definitely not what she needed to feel. The mess she was currently in could _not _defeat her.

_I have to be strong! He can't win this. I won't let him win. _Christine closed her eyes briefly before opening them and reevaluating her appearance. The emotions had changed. Instead of seeing weakness and sorrow, she saw determination, anger, and a goal. That goal was this: _He's not going to get away with this. I don't belong to _anyone_! Somehow, he's going to see that he can't keep me here. I'm going to get out of this, and he's going to pay._

IIIIIII

Erik leaned over his desk, pencil in hand. He was in the middle of composing. He didn't even need a piano. The notes and words came easily, and he continued to write while thinking.

_Christine, I will make you see. It will not be long before you, too, feel as I feel. My music will change your mind. It will turn you towards me._

_Finished. _Erik gazed down at his new piece before giving it the final touch. At the top of the first page, he wrote the words, _I Belong to You_. Christine would be singing it at their next voice lesson, which would take place the following morning. Erik was eager for morning to come.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Christine didn't sleep that night. Instead, for part of the night she examined her new prison.

The room she was being held captive in was incredibly plain. Clearly, it was a bedroom that wasn't meant for a girl. The walls were white, the furniture was brown wood, and the bed merely held light blue sheets and nothing more. Actually, the plainness was pretty depressing.

She walked towards a dresser and looked at items Erik had placed on top of it. First, there was a journal. _Well, this is nice, _she thought reluctantly. It was gorgeous with a light blue cover and her name engraved in cursive on the front. There were four pens beside it. _Wait a minute…_ Her eyes drifted from the journal to her bed sheets and back to the journal. He knew her favorite color. _How in the world would he know that? I've never told him that before. Hell, I've never given him any reason to 'know' me. So what's up with this? _Beside the journal, there were several bottles of fingernail polish. The colors were definitely what she would have chosen in a store. _How does this man know me?? _She was really beginning to want an answer to that question. There were several utensils next to the nail polishes that were obviously supposed to be used for giving a manicure. _Great, _she thought humorlessly. _He knows I like that, too. _

A tired sigh left her body, but she pretended not to notice and began opening the drawers of the dresser. The first and second drawers held undergarments, which caused her cheeks to flush. _What kind of pervert is he?! To think that I actually let this guy give me voice lessons for a year.. The mask on his face should have been reason enough not to become his voice student! I shouldn't have pitied him for it. I should have run like hell! _Shaking her head, she moved on. The third drawer held socks and the fourth held pajamas. They were cute pajamas, strangely enough. _The man has taste?_ That question was too weird to think about, so Christine walked towards a book case on the other side of the room.

_Damn it! _Erik even knew the titles of her favorite books! This was becoming too much to handle. _I can't forget my goal, I can't forget my goal. _Christine straightened and took a deep breath while standing in the middle of the room. It was so quiet, so lonely. _Stop getting caught up in how sad this whole situation is! _Returning her thoughts to exploring her new environment, Christine realized that she'd seen all of the bedroom, so she walked towards the bathroom that she had earlier been sick in.

The bathroom was small and nothing spectacular, though it did hold a near lifetime supply of every kind of toiletry a girl could need. _Well, that's embarrassing.. _She cringed at the thought of Erik thinking of her personal needs. _Oh, dear God, this is a nightmare! Ok, time to distract myself._

She left the bathroom and walked towards what looked to be a closet. Pulling open the door, she saw that it was indeed what she'd expected. It, like the bathroom, was small, but, unlike the bathroom, its contents attracted her interest. The closet was filled with clothes! They were name-brand, stylish, expensive clothes, too. Surveying each shirt, Christine found that they were all her size. The blue jeans and pants were her size, as well. There were about twenty-five pairs of shoes on the floor. They, too, were all her size.

_That's it! _Christine was sick of this. She was sick of it all. _Erik is the creepiest most psychotic person I have ever known! Not that I even 'know' him, but if this is any indication, then he's the kind of person I never want to have anything to do with! But… I don't have a choice. I have to have something to do with him because he refuses to take me home._

Crossing her arms in a sulky kind of way, she walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. _This sucks… This really sucks.. _Christine had always considered herself mature for her age, but at that moment, she definitely didn't feel it. If anything, she felt like a little kid stuck in time-out.

Her thoughts turned to her parents. _They must be so worried.. How dare Erik do this to them? I wonder what they're doing…_

IIIIIII

John and Norah Daae were standing stiffly while telling police officers and detectives what they knew about Christine, everything from personal traits to people she spent time with to what she normally did everyday of the week. Norah was holding several pictures of her daughter and forcing back tears while John relayed most of the information. She would chime in occasionally when he'd make a mistake or leave something out.

In the waiting area, Robert, Meg, and her boyfriend Jason were sitting in silence. Each of them knew that they would eventually be questioned by officers. They were ready to help in any way they could.

"I'm in love with her, you know," Robert suddenly said, breaking the silence. Meg and Jason looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "I-I never got a chance to tell her-" His voice broke off and he turned his face away as tears trailed down his cheeks.

"She knows you love her," Meg reassured him softly. "W-we talked about it a few times." Memories of their 'girl talks' came to her mind. She and Christine had been best friends since they were children… Meg hunched over and took a deep breath to keep from crying. Jason put his arm around her shoulders for support.

A few minutes later, an officer entered the waiting area. "Robert Channel." Robert stood and walked with the officer to a room where he would be questioned.

They were all in for a long night.

IIIIIII

It was 6:30 am and Erik was ready. He'd cleaned every room of the two-story house that hadn't been occupied in over a year making sure not to leave a speck of dust on any surface. It was incredibly important that everything feel welcoming. He wanted Christine to like and feel comfortable in his second home, just as he knew she liked and felt comfortable in his first one.

It needed to be made clear that this home was no different than the other had been. They each held three bedrooms, four bathrooms, one living room, one kitchen, one dining room, and a music room. In fact, they truly were practically identical, both inside and out. Unfortunately, Christine wouldn't be able to see the outside, at least not while she was acting so-… Well, he hadn't quite defined how she was acting. Disobedient? No, Erik didn't like to think of her as refusing to follow orders, for he wanted her to fall in love with him and her new life style freely and by choice. Only, he wanted her to make the right choice. Was that too much to ask?

Well, anyway, the point to be made was that Christine couldn't be trusted to go outside. There might even by a problem trusting her to roam the house. They would soon see.

IIIIIII

Hunger, exhaustion, boredom… Hell, this was worse than prison. At least they got fed! Christine literally had nothing in her stomach, thanks to vomiting earlier. She was so hungry that it was painful.

Also, she had no idea what time it was, whether it was morning, noon, or night. _Who doesn't have a freaking window in a bedroom or bathroom? _She saw a place on the wall where a window should have been, but it looked as if someone had covered it. Apparently, Erik was just as weird as he was creepy. The mixture wasn't good.

_What to do, what to do? _All she wanted was to go home, but that obviously wasn't going to happen for a while. It _would _happen eventually, though. She would make sure of it.

Her tired eyes moved about the room until they landed on the journal. Under any other circumstance, she would have found the journal to be so pretty. But no. Erik had to go and destroy it by touching it. _Hmm.. Maybe I'll give it a shot, though. _Christine stood and got the journal and a pen before sitting on the floor leaning her back against the dresser. Sitting on the bed, she would fall asleep and that couldn't happen, so this position was the alternative. _Ok, here goes. _She picked up the pen and opened the journal to the first page.

_Get me out of here!_

_That's my current thought. I don't know how many times I'll be writing in this thing, but I figured I should at least make it interesting. A thought at the top of every entry sounds good._

_So, let's see… Erik is a creepy, sick psychopath, and I don't care if he reads this. All the better if he does read it, actually. At least then he'll have two ways of knowing my feelings, one through me and one through my writing. I foresee his love for me disappearing altogether once he finds out what a complete nuisance I plan on being._

_I've given it a lot of thought. Of course, I have no idea how much time I actually devoted to planning my escape, but let's just say it had to have been more than two hours. I'm not going to reveal my plans in this, though, because if Erik does read it, I don't want him knowing everything. He'll know what I want him to know when I want him to know it. HA!_

Christine heard him coming. _Shit! _She quickly tried to come up with where to put the journal and decided at the last second to throw it in the second drawer of the dresser. A proper man would never look there. Then again, this was Erik she was referring to…

It was too late to change it, though. She scooted away from the dresser until she was standing in the middle of the room, and Erik unlocked and opened the door a moment later.

"Good morning," he greeted cheerfully. She didn't say a word. "It's a little earlier for you to be awake.."

"Well, thanks to you, I wouldn't know how early it is," Christine pointed out using a purposefully annoying, smart-ass tone of voice.

"Excellent, you are speaking to me." Erik's eyes were gleaming.

He was either pretending not to notice her tone, or he truly didn't care. All he seemed to care about was that she was speaking, which was just so typical. "Also," she added. "Just so you know, I didn't sleep. At all."

That caused him to frown disapprovingly. "My dear, that is unhealthy. Why would you put yourself through that?"

"Because, as long as you keep me here, I refuse to sleep." Christine knew she was being awfully daring.

Erik stared at her for a moment before blinking. Then, he proceeded to laugh loudly, which made Christine blush fiercely. "Do tell me how you plan to 'refuse to sleep', for I really am curious."

He was making fun of her! That caused her anger to build dramatically. "It won't be hard," she replied while clenching her fists at her sides. "You'll be taking me home before too many hours have passed, anyway. I don't need sleep between now and then."

It was as if he hadn't heard her. "Oh, how I wish you had gotten some sleep. I had hoped our voice lesson would be productive."

That caught her off-guard. "Voice lesson?"

"Yes, Christine. You are going to have voice lessons daily. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

There he went treating her like a child again… "I can't believe you honestly expect me to sing. Here? Like this?"

Erik chuckled. "Not here, no. In my music room, of course."

Christine glared at him. "That's not what I meant and you know it. What I _mean _is there's no way I can sing right now!"

"Why? Give me a valid reason."

"Because I don't want to!" she screamed.

He held up one finger. "Your first reason is not good enough. Give me another."

To describe her mood as furious would have been an understatement. _That's it! That's it, that's it, that's it! _"Because I _hate _you, that's my reason!" …Uh oh, now she'd done it.

His reaction wasn't what she thought it would be. Instead of getting angry like she was, he simply stared at her for several seconds before softly saying, "I refuse to believe that. You're too _good _to hate." Then, he left the room, locking the door on his way out.

Christine was angrier than she had ever been. To enunciate her fury, she ran to the door and banged on it with both fists. "I hate you! Do you hear me? I know you can hear me! I despise you!"

Erik could most definitely hear her, but her words weren't having the effect he knew she wanted them to. No, if it were possible, he loved her with even _more _passion now than he had before.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Christine, it is time," Erik announced upon entering her bedroom for the second time that morning. The first time had been an utter failure, but now that he'd given her a little while alone to think about everything, he was sure she was ready to cooperate.

Yes, Christine had been given time to think about her situation, but no, she wasn't ready to cooperate. In the time that Erik had left her alone, she'd had time to calm down some.

First of all, nothing good was going to come from being a nuisance. All it did was cause him to treat her like a child, which was highly annoying. Second of all, claiming to hate him probably hadn't been a very good idea. It obviously hadn't work to her advantage, being that he didn't say that he was going to take her home. In fact, all he had done was make a ridiculous comment that she was too good to hate. Why did he have to place her on some metaphorical pedestal? It was stupid and wrong. _I can hate, because I hate him._

But thinking like that wasn't getting her anywhere. _I have to control myself.. my emotions, my actions, and my thoughts. If I don't, he's never going to see reason. _That was the conclusion Christine had come to while Erik was away. Now that he was back, it was time to handle things rationally.

"I'm sorry, Erik, but I can't sing right now," Christine simply said without the usual hostility in her tone.

Erik's eyes brightened for a moment upon hearing her use his name, but he quickly came down from his high and sighed. "Christine, I believe we've been through this. Your reasons are not good enough. You _must _sing for me."

_Maybe it would be to my advantage to leave this room, _Christine suddenly thought while tuning out what he was saying. If she were to leave the room, maybe she could find a way to escape. It was genius! "Ok," she said with a little too much excitement. "I'll sing. Let's go."

He wasn't at all convinced by her abrupt change in attitude. Instead, he was incredibly suspicious. "You'll sing? Why? Why do you wish to sing now, whereas a moment ago you were not ready?" He stared at her evenly, silently persuading her to speak the truth.

Christine might have been a strong young woman, but even she couldn't block out such persuasion. "I-I…" She was stuttering. "I.. don't know." Her eyes couldn't leave his.

Erik smirked slightly while still staring at his beloved. "Surely you do. You sounded so confident a moment ago." She was staring at him with glazed over eyes, but she wasn't speaking. Perhaps it was time to use this spell to the fullest of his capabilities. "We belong together, Christine. You know that…" He moved towards her slowly and with purpose. "Just think about it, Christine. You and I will rule the world. To have such power would be wonderful, would it not?" She still didn't speak. Erik smiled warmly. He was now close enough to move a strand of hair behind her ear, and he did so gently. "My dear Christine, marry me. Say you will."

"I…"

"Say it, dear one. Say it, and everything else will be taken care of."

It was so easy, so simple.. To give into his words, to have everything else 'taken care of', would indeed be wonderful. Christine smiled. For the first time since this entire fiasco began, she smiled while looking into his inviting eyes. "I will."

Then, without so much as a second of waiting or warning, Erik leaned in and kissed his future bride.

The moment his lips met hers, Christine blinked and her eyes widened. The spell was broken. Instantly, she backed away with her mouth hanging open. Her eyes were moving every which way as the previous few minutes raced through her mind. "Wha-.. My god, what have you done?"

Erik was still consumed in the kiss. He could hardly believe he'd just done _that_. He'd wanted to for so long, and he just couldn't help it. To hear her say 'I will' was just too much. But, she'd returned to reality. In fact, they both had. "_I _didn't do anything, Christine. _You_, however, agreed to marry me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart-"

"You hypnotized me! I-I can't believe…" Christine shook her head. "I didn't even know it was possible." Her eyes turned to his. "You asshole! How could you do something like that?"

He crossed his arms. "I don't know what you're talking about. I merely talked to you. You said what I wanted to hear."

Now Christine crossed her arms. "Don't you know that you're doing all of this against my will?" There was only one way out of her situation, and Christine knew she had to take action quickly before anymore hypnotism could happen. "Forget it. I know you know that. Let's just go sing, ok?"

That took Erik by complete surprise. "You still wish to sing?"

"Yeah. I want to sing."

A wide smile took hold of his features. "Then, by all means, let's." He began to walk to the door but quickly stopped. "Wait."

Christine swallowed nervously and waited for him to say that they weren't leaving her room after all. _Damn…_

To her surprise, though, Erik didn't say that. Instead, he said something shocking. "You must first be blindfolded."

"What?" she questioned with a gasp.

"Well, I can't very well let you see everything with the continuous way you are behaving, can I?"

Christine stood silently thinking of some comeback to make. "You know what? Whatever. Just do it and let's get this over with."

"Very well." Erik brought a long piece of fabric out of his pocket and moved until he was standing behind her. Then, he tied the fabric so that her eyes were covered. "Is it too tight?" he asked when he was done. He only wanted her comfort.

"No," she replied flatly.

He reached out and waved a hand in front of her face to test it. When she didn't react in any way, Erik smiled. "Well then, shall we?" He placed both hands on her tense shoulders and guided her towards the door before reaching around her to open it. His hands resumed their position on her shoulders, and they walked down a hall until they reached the top of the stairs. "I hope you are not opposed to me carrying you."

Christine immediately tried to jerk away from his hands. "Let go of me! Of course I'm opposed to you carrying me!"

"I can't let go, or else you might fall down the stairs."

"Oh."

"If you wish to sing, then I must carry you. Fair enough?" Erik waited patiently for her response.

She let out a frustrated, defiant sigh but said, "Yeah, ok. Whatever." Truthfully, she was beginning to feel too sleepy to care. She hadn't slept in a long time. Christine wasn't even sure she had energy enough to carry out her plan… That thought was quickly thrown aside. _Of course I have enough energy to do this! It's my way out of here! _The next thing she knew, she was being lifted and carried down a staircase.

Erik was thoroughly enjoying the close contact, even if she hated every moment of it. If she could only be good, like she usually was, then he wouldn't be having to carry her at all. As it was, though, he was seeing a side of Christine he'd never witnessed before. This Christine was bold and defiant, and he found it entirely appealing. "There," he said once they were on the first floor. He lowered her until she was standing in front of him. "Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" She didn't say anything to that, so Erik resumed his position behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

They walked through a foyer, down a hall, and through a doorway on the right before Erik stopped, turned, closed the door, and then turned back to Christine. He undid the blindfold and turned her around so that she was facing him. With a smile, he said, "And here we are."

Christine took a moment to assess the situation refusing to believe that the gorgeous room was anything other than an obstacle to get through, though she would pretend it was more. "Wow," she breathed. "This is.. really beautiful." She only hoped her acting was coming across well enough.

"I knew you would like it."

She nodded while inwardly devising her plan. When her eyes came in contact with a light switch and then a nearby chair, she knew exactly what to do. She looked at a heavily curtained window on the other side of the room and smirked. This would be all too easy, for who could see in the dark? Christine walked towards the light switch pretending that she was walking towards a picture on the wall to admire it. _3… 2… 1… Now! _Quickly, she reached out to turn off the light before expertly knocking the chair over so that it was in between him and her. Then, she flung the closed door open, ran out, closed it again, and frantically ran down the hall. _Where's the front door? Where's the front door? _

She reached a foyer and ran towards what was obviously the door she was looking for. It was locked, but the key was still in the deadbolt. _A stupid mistake on his part. _She turned the key, threw open the door, and ran through the front yard until… _What the-? _All she could see were woods. The house was located in the middle of what looked to be a forest with no end in sight. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She continued to run but turned her head slightly to see what was going on. _Where's Erik? He's bound to be running through that front door any second. _The front door was still open, but he wasn't coming out.

That was when she noticed something else. To her horror, she could see that a window was open. _That's where the music room is_, she knew. And if that was the case, then Erik had beaten her outside. _That means… I have to get out of here! _Turning her head to face forward, she had every intention of continuing to run, but she shrieked upon seeing the very person she didn't wish to see ever again. Erik was standing about six feet away with his arms crossed. It didn't take much to see that he was angry. Christine stopped for only a second before making to turn to the left to start running away again.

Christine watched as he made the exact same move as she did. He was going to chase her… and then what?

"Do you honestly think you can outrun me?" Erik asked loudly from his distance.

_No,_ Christine inwardly replied. She knew there was no way to escape him. This was the end. Who knew what he was going to do to her now. Sure, he claimed to love her, but really, he had no idea what love was. So, would he hurt her? Would he kill her? She honestly didn't know what to do in that moment, but she didn't have to wonder for long.

Erik was right in front of her within the next two seconds. He looked down into her terrified eyes and found that his anger was dissolving. She held so much power over him. "Christine.." He sighed. "Christine, Christine, whatever am I going to do with you, my defiant songbird?"

She couldn't hear anger in his tone at all, and she wondered why. Moments before, it had been all too clear that he was furious. How could that have changed so quickly? _And did he seriously just call me a 'songbird'? _Christine bit her lower lip nervously as he continued to watch her. As the silence stretched on, she found she couldn't take it any longer. "Look, I just want to go home. Please, please, _please _take me home."

He would hear none of that. Instead, Erik would address the escape she had just attempted. "Christine, your plan didn't work. There were too many mistakes made. I will not bring all of them to the light, but I do want to make it known that I can see in the dark. So, my dear, I wouldn't try that again if I were you. I could say more, but I wish to move on to more exciting things. Let's go inside. There, we can discuss the promise you made to me."

Christine was confused by his words and the fact that it seemed her attempts to run away were forgiven. "Promise?"

"Yes, Christine. You said you would marry me. It is time to make it official."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Now, my dear, everything is ready. All that's left to do is-"

"I'm hungry!" Christine interrupted. She yelled the words in an attempt to distract Erik from where his attention lay...on marrying him. "I'm starving!"

Erik had finished locking the front door and was immediately distracted from his plan by her words. The absolute _last _thing he wanted was for his Christine to be hungry. It was true, he had yet to feed her.. She had to be verge of fainting from lack of energy! He focused his eyes on his love prepared to start apologizing profusely, but he was briefly taken aback by her appearance. She looked to be a bundle of nerves. _She truly does not wish to marry me.. _But still, her appetite would come first. "Come, follow me," he said and began walking away.

Christine was relieved by the fact that her hunger had distracted him. She really was starving, too, it wasn't a lie. She hadn't eaten since a snack she'd had at home... before her life became such a mess. The thought made her wish to cry. _I want to go home.. _Oh, how she wished she were there instead of being stuck with this psycho. Well, at least he refrained from blindfolding her. This way, she was able to walk freely and see everything in his house. She turned her head to look at the locked front door one last time before deciding it would be best to follow him.

They reached a kitchen, and Christine looked around. Everything looked expensive. The appliances were stainless steel, there was a nice island in the middle, and a beautiful chandelier hung above a table on the right side of the room. _How does he have all this money? Two houses and a kitchen that looks like this? And he's only a voice teacher? Something's not adding up.. _Christine didn't have time to analyze it further, because Erik began speaking.

"Please sit at the table. Would you like a cheese omelet?" Erik smiled in a doting way when she looked at him. He only wished she could be comfortable in the home that was now hers.

"Sure," she replied with a shrug before sitting at the table. Eating his food wasn't something she was thrilled about doing. If she didn't, though, he would continue with his plan- marriage. The very thought was literally making her feel sick, but that also could have been due to her hunger. Christine watched as he removed eggs and cheese from the refrigerator. He got a small bowl and a frying pan from a cabinet. Her attention wasn't really focused on what he was doing, though. Instead, she was thinking about the nightmare, which was her life.

_He told me that he loves me.. That's the whole reason he's doing this. But- _"How can you claim to love me?" she abruptly asked. "You don't even know me."

Erik stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. "I do know you, Christine. It is through knowing you that I fell in love with you."

That wasn't satisfying. There was still too much that didn't make sense. "I looked around the room you locked me in. How is it that you know my favorite color? And my favorite books? And my clothing size?" Part of her was wanting answers to her questions, but another part was scared of what he would say.

"It wasn't hard to figure out your favorite color. Your music folder is light blue, and you often wear clothes consisting of that color. Honestly, your clothing size was a guess. I suppose I have a good eye," he said, chuckling a little.

His nonchalant answers aggravated her so much! "What about my favorite books? You couldn't have known them by only seeing me during voice lessons." Now he was cornered.

Erik studied her from his distance. The answers would frighten her, he knew. She really did deserve to know the truth, though. He'd been keeping so many things from her for so long now. "I suppose I will be honest with you. I know various things about you because I took the liberty of visiting your house on more than one occasion. I visited your bedroom, specifically, and that is where I gained my knowledge." Perhaps a compliment would help calm her down, as he could see that his words had indeed scared her. "You are such a fascinating young woman."

"You broke into my house? You spied on me?"

"Yes, Christine, I did both of those things," Erik said truthfully.

Christine could feel herself becoming incredibly angry. _Calm down and focus.. _"There were never any signs. All of the voice lessons we had.. You never showed any signs of loving me."

"Didn't I?" he asked while cooking.

"No, not once."

Letting the omelet simmer some, Erik turned to face her. "But there were signs. There were a number of signs, Christine. You just didn't acknowledge them."

She glared. "Name one. Explain a time when I should have known."

He put the omelet on a plate and walked towards the table while thinking. "In June," he began, laying the plate in front of her. "You were late for a lesson. When you arrived, I noticed something was wrong. I asked if something was troubling you, but you said it was nothing. We proceeded to have our lesson, but your voice was not up to par. I gave you a glass of water and asked if you would sit down to drink it. I then told you that you could open up to me. You could tell me anything. I told you that I would always listen and try to help."

Christine actually did remember that day. She and Robert had been fighting, something that didn't happen often. Her voice had been off because of it, and she remembered Erik giving her the water and wanting her to sit down. She remembered very vividly what he had told her, because it was out of the ordinary for him to talk to her without a business-like voice. _That wasn't a sign, though! It was him being nice. If he calls that a sign, then he's seriously got issues. _"You call _that _a sign?" He only stared at her, which she assumed to be his creepy way of saying 'yes'. "I thought that was just you being friendly, not some romantic gesture."

"Yes, well, I suppose I did keep my feelings hidden," Erik admitted. He noticed she wasn't eating. "Please eat. Would you like toast?"

Reluctantly, she nodded. _An omelet isn't enough to fill me. _

"Allow me to get you some milk, too."

She watched him walk away from the table before looking down at her omelet. It looked and smelled good. Taking a first bite, she realized that it was _really _good and scarfed it down quickly. By the time he returned, she was finished.

Erik's eyes widened. "My, you were hungry," he said in wonder. He placed her toast and milk on the table and sat in a seat across from her.

"Aren't you hungry?" Christine asked awkwardly. Not that she really cared... But it was weird.

He was surprised that she would consider his appetite. _She cares? _Looking at her adoringly, he shook his head. "No, angel, I'm not."

_Whatever. _Christine ate her toast and drank her milk silently while thinking about what was soon to happen. _I can't let it happen.. I can't marry him. It would be... _There just weren't words to describe how truly awful it would be. _Maybe I should just let him know what I'm feeling. _"Erik, I can't marry you."

His heart skipped a beat. She spoke his name! It seemed he would never grow accustomed to hearing it. "But angel, you already promised. You wish to take back your promise?"

Christine slammed her fist against the table. "I didn't promise you anything! You hypnotized me! You tricked me!"

Erik closed his eyes for a moment and sighed tiredly before opening them and saying very seriously, "Christine, it has been decided. You will marry me. Today. There is no choice."

"I don't want to marry you, don't you get it? I just want to go home! How can you want to marry somebody who wants nothing to do with you?" It was mind boggling.

He stood and moved to her side of the table. "I want to marry you because I love you. Now stand. It's time to get ready."

Tears were coming to Christine's eyes and she stubbornly shouted, "No! You can't make me!"

_Why can she not cooperate? _It was time to settle this once and for all. "Christine, if you do not marry me, you will regret it. If you do not marry me, I will become angry."

_So he _is _the stereotypical kidnapper, after all! _"What, you're going to hurt me?"

"No," he answered immediately. "Of course not. I would _never _hurt you. I would hurt others, though. I would have no problem doing that."

Christine shrank back in fear. "You _what_?"

Now he had her attention. "You heard me, Christine."

"If you lay a hand on anybody I love, I'll-"

"I never said I would hurt your loved ones, Christine. I couldn't do that, for that would hurt you. No, they will remain untouched. Other innocent people could suffer, though, and it would be _all your fault_." He spoke the words slowly, making sure she understood.

Her face paled dramatically. He wasn't kidding around. No, the man was insane. He wasn't against hurting or even killing others. She could only stare at him speechless.

Erik held out his hand so that she would take it and stand. "I believe we are on the same page now. Let's go see your wedding dress."

Christine stood without taking his offered hand and crossed her arms. "I don't want you to involve anyone else in this, so I guess I have to marry you." She felt like she was going to cry, but at the same time, tears weren't going to help. They would just make things worse.

He was delighted. "I'm so glad you see as I see." He led her out of the room and to the left until they reached a closed door. After a dramatic pause, Erik opened the door and they walked inside. He then waited anxiously for her to speak.

She stared in horror at a mannequin in the middle of the room wearing what was to be her wedding dress. Everything just seemed so unreal- the kidnapping, the dress, the wedding.. _Is this actually happening? _Although she tried not to think about it, Christine had to admit that it was a beautiful dress. She refused to look at it for too long, though. No way would she let him know that she thought it was gorgeous. "Ok, now what?" she finally asked.

"What do you think of it, my dear?" Erik was truly curious. He'd spent so much time making sure it was perfect. He wanted to know her thoughts.

Christine shrugged. "Does it really matter what I think? My thoughts haven't mattered so far."

"Your thoughts always matter," he corrected.

_Yeah right.. _"The dress is fine. Let's just get this over with." She began to walk forward in order to remove it from the mannequin, but Erik stopped her.

"What are you doing, angel?"

"Getting the dress so that I can go into a bathroom and put it on." _Duh.._

He chuckled. "There's no need to do that yet."

_What? We're not doing this after all? _If only she could be so lucky.

"We have to drive to the chapel first. Then, you will wear it."

Christine gasped. "You mean, we're leaving this house?" _Oh, my god... This can be my way out!_

Erik didn't approve of the way she was acting. Of course she was only thinking of an escape. "Allow me to explain a few things. Do you see that box beside the dress?" He pointed to a box on the floor and watched her nod. "Well, that box contains a mask. Your mask." He could tell she was confused. "You will put it on before we leave, and you will wear it until we return."

"Y-you mean.. You're trying to make sure nobody can identify me?"

"Precisely."

She shuddered. This was just too much. "You can't honestly expect us to wear masks during our w-wedding?"

His plans were flawless, and nothing would change them. "I will have it no other way. You'll find, Christine, that this chapel is a little different than other churches you have seen. This chapel is designed for couples wishing to elope." Feeling that she still didn't understand, he explained, "Think of chapels you hear about in places like Las Vegas. Anything is accepted there, right? Couples can dress however they'd like. The weddings can have various themes. It doesn't matter. Therefore, our theme will be a masquerade." Erik actually winked at her. "Clever, yes?"

Christine could only stand staring at the man before her in shock. He was insane, completely insane. But, he was also a damn genius.

His plans were going to be a success, she knew. Why? One, she would basically go without being seen, so no one would know she was a 'missing person'. Two, she had to obey, because Erik would kill other people if she didn't. And three, his plans were going to be a success because she was powerless to stop them. Erik was in full control.

Erik suddenly became worried while watching her. "You look tired, sweet angel. Perhaps you should take a nap before we leave. Yes, I believe you will feel better once you get some sleep."

Christine followed him as if in a dream as he led her to her bedroom. Then, he reached out to touch her cheek for a moment before leaving the room, closing and locking the door on his way out. Slowly, Christine moved towards the bed. Her mind seemed so sluggish. Maybe Erik was right. Once she slept some, she would be able to devise a plan.

* * *

**There, I uploaded all of HungrySoprano's chapters. I just figured, why delay it? From here on out, the chapters will be written by me.**

**Thank you so much for reading! Please review :)**

**-Lauren  
**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Christine didn't feel refreshed when she awoke from her nap, and it didn't help that the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Erik standing over her like a tall, dark shadow. She'd nearly shrieked at the sight, actually.

Erik could tell that he'd startled her. "I'm sorry for scaring you, my dear."

She sat up quickly and stood from the bed. "You didn't scare me. I was just surprised." That wasn't exactly true, though. Her eyes couldn't help but notice his attire. He was wearing something a little dressier than his normal black suit. Now, he was wearing a black tuxedo. The very thought of him wanting to 'dress up' for such a tragic occasion disgusted her.

Deciding to disregard the obvious lie of her statement, Erik moved on. Excitement took over as he beamed down at her. "Well, shall we?"

_Damn, I don't have a plan, _Christine thought. She'd slept for longer than she would have liked, although she didn't know how long that was thanks to not being able to see a clock. Now, Erik was ready to go. Well, she most certainly wasn't. Marrying him... The thought was horrifying. "No," she said.

The smile left Erik's face. "Oh Christine, have we not been through this? You _have _to marry me. There is no choice."

"There should be a choice! I shouldn't have to marry you if I don't want to. God, you have problems! Why can't you realize that forcing me to marry you will do nothing but make me hate you more?" _Why can't I get this through his head?_

Erik stood very still for a moment. _This is the right decision. This is not wrong. I am right, and she is confused. _"Dear one, do not tire yourself. I realize that you have not fully caught up on sleep just yet. You will sleep better tonight, though." His lips curled upward.

Christine's eyes widened suddenly. "Look," she began, her voice shaky. "I don't know what you have planned for tonight, but-"

He interrupted her, knowing immediately what she was referring to. "Do not worry, my love. I would never force you. I knew from the beginning that _that _would be out of the question."

She shuddered as unwanted thoughts went through her mind, although she did feel relief at his words. "Ok."

"Now, let us be on our way." Erik studied her appearance then. "My dear, wouldn't you like to take a shower and put on fresh clothing? I believe you would feel more comfortable."

Christine knew for a fact that nothing would make her feel more comfortable. She also was in no mood for him to control this situation like he had all the others. He was in control of too many things. "No, I don't want to take a shower or put on 'fresh clothing'," she snapped.

Erik merely shrugged. "If that is your decision, I suppose.. No matter, you look lovely either way," he complimented. It was time to get to it. "Now Christine, it is time. Everything is prepared. Let's go."

There was nothing she could do. Many things were about to change, including her last name. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she moved to the door of her bedroom. Erik was right behind her. She realized he was _always _going to be right behind her.

Eventually, they were situated in Erik's car. Christine was wearing the mask. She hated it. She detested it. The only things she detested more were Erik and the wedding dress that was laying on the back seat. _How can this be happening? I'm only eighteen and I'm getting married? This isn't right. None of this is right! Robert, I'm so sorry... _Just the thought of her boyfriend made tears come to her eyes. With that thought also came thoughts of Meg and her family. The tears spilled over as she longed to see them again.

Erik instantly noticed her tears, and he pulled the car over to the side of the road immediately. "Christine, my angel, what is wrong?" he asked, deeply concerned.

The fact that he even had to ask showed just how clueless and insane he really was. She crossed her arms and turned her face away from him. "Everything's wrong. Just drive," she said trying to hold back her tears.

"I cannot drive knowing you are in pain. Please, let me help you." That was all Erik wanted. To help her, to be there for her, and to be her loyal, devoted servant.

Christine's emotions were overwhelming, and to have him hassling her just made everything worse. She turned to glare at him, more tears spilling over. "I don't want your help! Just drive!"

The look in her eyes made him freeze for a moment. _She hates me. She truly hates me. _For a second, he thought about the fact that her feelings would never change. She would always hate him. But then, a second later, he decided to disregard such thoughts. _The moment we are married, everything will change! _"Alright," he simply said, following her order. He put the car back in 'Drive', and they continued on their way.

They didn't speak during the hour long drive. Christine kept her arms crossed and her head turned to the right as she thought about her loved ones. Inside, she was struggling to contain herself. It would have been so easy to open the car door and jump out, but doing so would undoubtedly be the cause of her death. Even if it didn't kill her, though, Erik would still find her and kidnap her all over again. So, she would refrain from doing such a thing.

However, she did try to come up with a plan. Perhaps she could write that she was in need of help on a piece of paper and give it to someone in the chapel. Or maybe, just maybe, she could go in a bathroom and write on the mirror using... soap? She'd seen the movie Red Eye, so resorting to such an option seemed plausible. Yes, she could do that! _Good thinking, Christine, _her mind congratulated.

Little did she know, Erik's plan was to stay with her throughout the ceremony. He wouldn't let her out of his sight, in case she were to try anything. She already knew that he would kill anyone if she spoke of her situation, so perhaps she wouldn't try to escape.. but, in case she did, he was ready.

They reached the chapel, and Erik instructed Christine to sit still so that he could gather her dress. She obeyed, and he proceeded to open the back door, get the dress, and then open her door so that she could get out. He then led her inside.

Christine was examining every inch of the building as she stood waiting while Erik talked to somebody. She was aware of the fact that he was using his smoothest, most persuasive tone, and she could see that whoever he was speaking to was completely hypnotized. Christine rolled her eyes and continued to look around. There were quite a few people in the building, and it looked like Erik had been right. There were many different wedding themes. One couple was dressed like Egyptians, another couple wore hippie clothing, and yet another couple was dawning vampire costumes.

It was bizarre, and had she been there under different circumstances, Christine could have laughed at such a sight. She imagined Meg would get a kick out of it, too.

"My dear, it's time to put on your dress," Erik said, approaching her with a smile.

He looked to be excited, but then again, so was she. This was her chance to escape! She would go to the bathroom, write on the mirror, put on the dress, go back to Erik, and wait for someone to find her note. It was brilliant!

But, to Christine's utmost horror, Erik followed her to the bathroom. "W-what are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"Why, I'm coming with you, Christine," he replied. "I cannot let you out of my sight, dear one."

Christine's mouth opened in shock. "You can't watch me get dressed! I-I -"

Erik interrupted. "I will turn away while you change clothing. Do not fret, my love. I merely wish to be near you."

Her face paled as she realized that her plan had fallen through. _Damn, how could I be so stupid as to think that I could succeed? _They walked to the bathroom, and Erik closed and locked the door behind them.

"Now, hurry and change, my dear. Our wedding begins in approximately fifteen minutes." He handed her the dress.

He was just so happy. It was really pissing Christine off. _How dare he treat this like some sort of celebration! This is the beginning of hell. _With her hands on her hips, she waited for him to turn around so that she could get dressed. Then, she changed clothes quickly. To try anything would be futile would be meaningless. Erik was completely insane, and he would kill anyone to keep her.

Once she was wearing the dress and had replaced the mask to her face, she cleared her throat.

Erik turned slowly towards her, and as soon as he did, his eyes widened at the sight before him. She was a vision. The dress looked stunning on her, and so did the mask. She was gorgeous. He could only stare.

Christine sighed not appreciating his creepy gaze for a second. "Come on, let's just get this over with."

"Y-you will marry me?"

She gave him a disbelieving look. _We've been through this numerous times. _"Duh," she simply said.

Tears reached his eyes. "Thank you, Christine. I am unworthy."

Frowning, she said, "Don't give me that. You think you're completely worthy. Now, let's go." They left the bathroom and walked to the gaudy sanctuary. The whole place was a joke.

They sat on a bench and waited. Christine found she was shaking while Erik sat looking straight ahead with a content sort of smile on his face.

Everything happened very quickly. Christine felt like she was in another world as she walked down the aisle and stood beside Erik. They said their vows, and when that was finished, the 'preacher' announced that Erik could kiss her. That was when Christine snapped out of her stupor. She wouldn't allow it. Instead, she shook her head and began walking away.

She heard Erik chuckle behind her and say, "She is shy." Christine gritted her teeth and stomped away feeling her _husband_ right behind her.

"You may change clothes if you'd like," he said.

"Yes," she replied with hatred. In fact, she felt like ripping the dress apart. That was how much she despised it. They returned to the bathroom, and Erik turned so that she could take the dress off and put on the clothing she had arrived in.

Leaving the chapel, Erik drove them back to his house. He spoke to her while driving, but Christine tuned him out. _I'm married, _she thought. _What a cruel, cruel world. Why is this happening to me? What did I ever do to deserve this? _

When they pulled into the driveway, Christine quickly unlocked her door and got out. "I'm going to my room. I'm tired," she mumbled.

Erik nodded. He was worried about his love. She hadn't been herself throughout the entire ceremony. It seemed like she had been in a zombie-like state. The drive back had also been concerning. She hadn't listened to a word he'd said. _I thought things would be different... No matter, things will change eventually. She cannot ignore me forever. _He smiled in a caring way. "Of course, my dear. You must be exhausted."

They went inside, and Christine went straight to her bedroom while Erik followed. "I hope you have pleasant dreams," he said softly. "I love you, my angel."

_Yeah? Well, I hate you, _Christine thought. She didn't speak, though. He left the room, locking the door on his way out, and she threw her mask to the floor before jumping onto the bed and burying her face in the pillow. _This is so unfair! I don't deserve this! No one deserves this! _

Remembering something, she turned her head to the side and raised her left hand in order to see the new ring on her finger. It was a simple gold band, but she assumed Erik would give her another ring later. In a fit of rage, she took the ring off and threw it against the wall on the other side of the room.

Then, she curled into a ball and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

**Short chapter, I know. I just thought it was a good stopping place. The wedding might not have been detailed, but I can assure you, more is on the way. I hope this was pleasing. I know it's not HungrySoprano's work. I can only hope that it will suffice.**

**Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate all you have to say! **

**Please review!**

**-Lauren**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was going on the third day of Christine's disappearance, and there was finally a definite lead in the case.

Once the news had spread that Christine Daae was missing, people were brought in for questioning. The process was slow. First family, then Robert, then Meg, then more of Christine's friends, and then members of the community and teachers. Nadir Kahn and Marie Giry, her music teachers, were brought in to be questioned, and it was through them that progress began to be made.

Through talking to Nadir, it was discovered that Christine had been taking voice lessons from a friend for the past year. When the 'friend' part was questioned further, the name Erik Destler was given.

Immediately, authorities had called him in order to bring him in for questioning. Nadir who became a bit suspicious when Erik couldn't be reached over the phone. Erik rarely left his home, and he usually answered his cell phone.

After being questioned further, it wasn't long before Erik's mask was brought up. Authorities were quick to become more interested when hearing that. Nadir explained that Erik was not a normal man. He was an eccentric recluse who behaved strangely but was a genius in many areas.

When Nadir was asked about the relationship between Erik and Christine, he'd said very little because he knew very little... Once Christine began taking voice lessons at Erik's house, he and Nadir had stopped communicating almost entirely. Erik had devoted most all of his time to her, which left room for little else in his life.

Authorities had taken over from there. Nadir had basically told them that Erik Destler was obsessed with Christine Daae, so that was the key they needed to making him their main target.

The Daae's hadn't seemed too shocked when hearing about Erik being a suspect, so that was further proof that Erik was the one.

Now, it was the third day, and cops and detectives were on their way to Erik Destler's house. The search was underway.

IIIIIII

Erik watched his television with interest. A news program was on, and the woman on the screen was talking about Christine and showing pictures of her and videos of the case. That wasn't the reason for Erik's interest, though. The reason for his interest was that his own name was on the bottom of the screen.

_So, I am a wanted man... _He laughed while thinking about it. _For the first time in my life, I am wanted. But, as fate would have it, I am wanted for a crime. _

It hadn't taken long for authorities to decide he was a suspect. Erik supposed he had someone like Nadir Kahn to thank for that. The man had probably been thoroughly questioned, and Erik's name had probably come up during the process.

Erik shrugged. _They think they will find us, but they are wrong. _He and Christine were well hidden, that was for sure. Erik had a talent for keeping his true identity hidden beneath fake identities to get what he wanted. Everything from being able to stay in the house they were currently in, to making it so that the house had working utilities, to being able to keep a vehicle that wasn't his own, to having food available for them, to marrying the girl of his dreams... All of those things had been able to happen thanks to his numerous identities and his hypnotist abilities.

Erik had made it so that he and Christine were safe from the rest of the world. His love would never have to deal with life's cruelties like he'd been forced to...

But, he didn't have to think about his past anymore. Christine had saved him from his solitude and he had rescued her while she was still young, innocent, and pure.

Someday, Erik knew she would thank him.

Turning off the television, he stood. It was 8:00 am, which meant that this was the second day of his and Christine's marriage. He wondered how she was feeling, if she was still asleep, and if she was hungry or thirsty.

_I will never have to wonder such things again, _Erik realized with a smile. _She is here, with me, and I need only to approach her in order to get answers to my questions. _To know that it was so simple was enough to make him sprint towards Christine's room, excitement coursing through his veins.

He knocked on her door like a gentleman but didn't hear any sort of response. _No matter, _he thought before reaching into his pocket to obtain the door's key. He pushed it into the key hole and twisted it until the door unlocked.

Erik then opened the door slowly and found Christine to be sitting on her bed facing him with her arms crossed and a scowl on her precious face.

"It's about time," she announced impatiently upon seeing him.

Erik could only stare at her beauty. She'd taken a shower and changed clothes. _She is wearing clothes I gave her. _Just the thought brought tears of joy to his eyes. "You look lovely," he said softly.

Christine thought about how she must look with wet hair, no make up, and clothes she had purposefully wrinkled out of spite. She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Look, you can't just lock me in here for ungodly amounts of time! Of course, without a clock I really have no idea how long I've been in here, but it's been long enough for me to sleep, shower, get ready, and look at every stupid book on that book shelf. And since I've been able to do all that, then it's been a long damn time!" She was standing by the end of her rant. Silence passed before Christine shrieked, "Stop staring at me like an idiot!"

Her sudden scream made Erik blink coming out of his awed expression. "Forgive me," he begged.

_Like hell I will, _she thought sarcastically. "Maybe you're listening now? Well, I'm hungry and thirsty. Since I have no clue if the water here is drinkable, I didn't try it." _I thought about it, though... Bathroom sink water making me sick enough to go to the hospital would be one way to get out of this mess._

"Oh, my dear, this is unforgivable," Erik said.

"Everything you do is unforgivable, isn't it?" she asked under her breath.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say 'everything', no."

Her eyes shot towards his. "You heard that?"

Erik nodded. "It seems I was blessed with impeccable hearing."

Everything he said made her furious. _'Blessed'? 'Blessed'?! 'Blessed' is one thing he isn't. He'll go to hell for what he's done. _"Right. Well, are you going to feed me?" She hated feeling like she wasn't in control of anything.

"Of course," he instantly replied. "Follow me."

They left the room, and Christine stared at his back thinking while they walked. _I'm never going to get out of this if I don't do something... _She found that her thought were becoming more and more violent. _If I hurt him to the point that he can't move, I could grab his car keys and drive away. _That option seemed very appealing. _But, how does one go about hurting a man as tall and strong as he is? _That was going to take some thought.

Christine sat at the table while Erik prepared the same breakfast he made for her the day before. She ate in silence while he sat across from her doing what he did best- staring. _The mask, _she suddenly thought. _If I take off his mask, it will surprise him enough so that I have time to hurt him. Hmm... _

"Christine, my dear, where is your ring?" Erik asked, his eyes on her finger.

With her thoughts on other more important things, she distantly replied, "I threw it against the wall before I fell asleep."

Erik's mouth opened slightly. What she just admitted to doing was very hurtful, yet there wasn't a bit of remorse in her tone. "Allow me to go get it." Then, without another word, he quickly left the room.

Christine gasped. _He just left me in here all alone! _She knew he'd be back in only a few seconds, though. But luckily, she had a plan. In the midst of his worrying about her ring, it'd hit her. And the fact that it was actually going to work was unbelievable.

Her eyes darted towards the frying pan that was still sitting on the stove, and she rushed towards it. Knowing that it'd had plenty of time to cool down, she picked the pan up by the handle and tested it by swinging it like a baseball bat through the air. _Perfect, _she thought, though she couldn't help but be nervous.

Gaining courage, Christine raced to the kitchen doorway and waited next to it pressing her body against the wall. She'd fail if he were to see her... She only had one chance..

Suddenly, he appeared in the doorway and walked inside.

_Now! _With a strength she had no idea she possessed, Christine raised the frying pan and then swung it letting the bottom of the pan collide with the back of his head creating a sickening crash.

Erik, not expecting it at all, didn't make a sound before stumbling slightly and falling forward, his masked face hitting the floor hard and the ring he was holding falling from his grasp and rolling away.

Then, there was silence.

Christine stood very still, the frying pan still in hand, as she stared down at Erik's fallen form. _Oh. My. God. _It was hard to believe. One second she'd been sitting at the table eating breakfast, the next she was standing over her kidnapper's body... _Did I-..? Did I k-kill him? _There wasn't time to stand around wondering about his physical state! And yet, she found she couldn't move.

Thoughts of taking his car keys and leaving were far from her mind. Her body seemed cold and numb as she stood thinking about what she'd just done.

_Never _had she hurt another person before. Christine wasn't a violent person by nature. But this had been so simple.

_'I love you. I love you, Christine. More than anything.' _The words Erik had spoken to her during the voice lesson that seemed a lifetime ago replayed through her mind.

Her next thought came abruptly. _What have I done? _The frying pan fell from Christine's grasp hitting the floor with a clank, and her body began to shake while her heart hammered in her chest. _Am I a m-murderer? _Her previous plan reentered her mind, but she found it was impossible to take action. To leave him...

_Wait, what am I thinking? He kidnapped me! He deserves this.. He's a psychotic criminal. This was the right thing to do. This was the only way._

Nodding, Christine took a deep breath and forced herself to stop thinking about his well being. _I've got to find his car keys. Now, where could they be? _

Unwillingly, her attention returned to his body. _Why is he so still? Shouldn't I be able to see that he's breathing? _

_Stop it! _She shook her head. _Stop caring! Now, where should I look first? His pockets?_

Her eyes focused on one of his pant pockets. Again, her thoughts faltered. _What if he's not dead?.. What if he wakes up? _

Christine realized that she had to know. She took a shaky step forward, and then another and another. Slowly, she knelt down next to him. Her hand reached out, and not being able to help it, she positioned it in front of his mouth. _I have to see if he's still breathing. _Leaving her hand where it was and concentrating, she waited to feel his breath against her skin.

She didn't have to wait long. Sudden relief filled her mind when she realized that, yes, he was breathing. _I'm not a murderer. I don't have to feel guilty... _The moment the word 'guilty' reached her thoughts, she froze with her hand still in front of his face.

That was exactly what she felt. 'Guilty'. It couldn't be denied. This man... Yes, he was insane. Yes, he kidnapped her. Yes, she wanted to get the hell away from him. But that, she was beginning to realize, was easier said than done.

_I shouldn't have done that.. _Regret. Yes, she was feeling regret. _What am I going to do? _

Her hands unthinkingly moved to the left side of his body, and she rolled him over onto his back.

Christine's eyes found his face, and yet again, she froze. There wasn't a mask on his face any longer. No, when he'd hit the floor, the mask had split in two. And there is lay, on the floor where his body had previously been.

Instantly, she thought she was going to be sick. Yes, she'd assumed he was deformed beneath the mask, but _this _was not what she'd expected. It was bad. It was really bad.

His face wasn't a face at all. It looked like a decaying skull. There wasn't much skin. Instead, there were dark colors surrounding bone. He didn't really have a nose.. His eyes were sunken into his head. Christine felt tears come to her eyes and she backed away from him on instinct.

It was _scary.. _Really scary. She found she had to turn away. It was _that _bad.

_Shit... _Even though she wasn't looking, the image still wouldn't leave her mind. _No wonder... _She was regarding him with a new perspective. _So that's why he is the way he is. Yeah, that's definitely why he is the way he is._

_I can't believe this. _For the first time, she was beginning to understand something. It was clear now. _He doesn't want me. Not really. What he wants is to be normal. He kidnapped me because, due to his face and the fact that he isn't normal because of it, he didn't know any better. He married me because he wants to be a normal man. He wants me to love him because he wants acceptance._

Christine's eyes suddenly widened. _Can I really hate him for that?_

Right then, a sort of groan coming from behind her caused her to jump and reflexively whirl around to face the sound.

Erik was moving. He was waking up. It was then that Christine realized, _I'm in big trouble.

* * *

_

**I'm not very happy with this chapter, which makes me think: Why am I even posting it? Well, I just feel like I should, I guess...**

**Anyway, just know that a lot more is coming.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews! I know there were some problems with the last chapter. Unfortunately, I'm not HungrySoprano. But, hopefully the story will get better with time.**

**There's a picture of Christine's wedding dress and a picture of Christine's wedding mask on my profile page, if you want to take a look.**

**Please review!**

**-Lauren**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Christine sat motionless on the kitchen floor. Erik was moving. He was regaining consciousness. Not only was she frightened, but she was scared for her life. Yet, she couldn't move.

_To run would be useless... To stay would be a death sentence... Shit. _Christine knew things were going to turn ugly if she didn't take action. _Maybe I should knock him out with the frying pan again. _But, she wouldn't do that. It was hurting him that had placed her in her current situation. To do it again would most likely cause her previous inner battle to wage once more.

_Am I just going to sit here and wait for him to explode in rage?_

IIIIIII

Erik's thoughts were hazy. His head was aching. The pain was excruciating, and it was causing his mind to feel sluggish. From a distance, he could hear himself groaning and feel his body stirring slightly.

Then came his first clear thought. _I was hit. _It was shocking, for he hadn't been hit in many, many years. _I was hit in the back of the head... My mask! It's gone! _That sudden knowledge was enough to cause his hands to instantly cover his face. _But, who-... Christine! _Her name resounded in his head, but initially, it was out of fear for her well-being. _Whoever hit me surely did something to her!_

Panic overcame his entire being. His eyes immediately opened, and his hands moved away from his face. The kitchen ceiling was what he first saw. With only one objective in mind, his eyes darted to the left and then to the right until he suddenly saw her.

His beautiful Christine was sitting on the floor looking at him with fear in her eyes.

Reflexively, Erik's hands moved to cover his deformed face again, but not before his eyes located something else. There was a frying pan on the floor next to her.

Focusing on what he'd just seen, Erik lay still and thought things through with his hands covering his face._ Clearly, that was the weapon used against me.. But, why is it lying beside my sweet Christine? _

Another voice in his head whispered, _You know why, Erik... _

_No, _the first, more trusting voice thought. _It isn't possible for her to have caused this. _

That voice seemed to be resolute, but the other voice sneaked in again and whispered, _She knocked you into unconsciousness and she removed your mask... She is not so sweet. _

The proof lay with that voice. There wasn't anyone else in the house. His beloved was the only one with the means, motives, and opportunity to have done it. It was settled.

With great speed, Erik uncovered his face and sat up, ignoring his body's protest to the sudden movement. He turned towards Christine and studied the look of utter horror on her face. Then, with an unusual calm air, he softly asked, "What are you thinking?" But, without giving her time to answer, he said, "I'll tell you what _I'm _thinking. I am confused, Christine. You have put me in a state of confusion. I must also admit that I have quite a head ache. Am I to assume that you wanted me to feel worse than that?" He actually smiled before shaking his head. "My dear girl, what were you thinking?"

Christine didn't speak. She couldn't.

"You look afraid.. Are you afraid of this?" He pointed to his face. "Is the almighty, powerful Christine, who was brave enough to try to do away with Erik, afraid of his face?" Crossing his arms, he laughed loudly, his shoulders shaking. "I honestly do not know if I should be angry with you or if I should commend you. Not many people are able to do what you did. But," he added quickly. "I am confused as to why you are here. Christine, why are you still here? Your obvious motive was to leave me, so why have you stayed?"

She blinked and looked down at the floor helplessly. "I-I-"

Erik watched as she looked down. She did not wish to see his face any longer, and that was what triggered his anger. Before she could say more than one word, he interrupted, "Get out!" She actually jumped at the sudden yell. "Go to your room! Now!"

Not even wanting to disobey, Christine got to her feet and fled from the kitchen until she was in her upstairs bedroom. Then, she slammed the door shut and sank to the floor while wondering exactly what Erik was wondering- _Why did I stay?_

IIIIIII

Erik was still sitting on the kitchen floor. He just couldn't understand. One, he couldn't understand her actions. And two, he couldn't understand why he'd let her escape his wrath so easily. He supposed the latter was for the reason that he loved her so deeply. But, what of her actions? Why, oh why, would she do what she did? _Does she truly hate me so much? After everything we have been through, how can she hate me?_

That other voice in his head -the one that had won the first mind-argument- returned. _She hates you because she is just like everyone else. She isn't different, and her actions prove just that. _

His eyes widened. _No.. That cannot be. _But, the thought hit him so hard. And sadly, it was believable. Her being just as mean, just as spiteful as the rest of the world was somewhat plausible.

Her being different from everyone else was believable, too, though! Erik sighed not knowing what to believe anymore.

Staring at the far wall, it couldn't be denied that there was only one way to get answers to his questions. Erik's head was still pounding, but he stood and ran towards Christine's bedroom nonetheless. So lost was he in his mission that he totally overlooked the fact that he still wasn't wearing a mask.

Once he reached her room, Erik quickly opened the door nearly ramming it into Christine in the process, for she was still sitting in front of it on the floor. She hurried away just in time and got to her feet in order to back away from him.

_He's still angry, I can feel it, _Christine thought nervously while watching him. His deformed face stuck out, but the look in his eyes stuck out even more. His eyes held an urgent, demanding sort of expression, which was highly confusing. _He just told me to leave him alone, but now he's here? Why? _There was one thing she wasn't confused about, though- _His face isn't nearly as scary as he is... _In fact, she really was getting used to the deformity. After all, she'd had plenty of time to look at it by now.

Erik's voice halted her other thoughts. "I need to know... Why did you knock me into unconsciousness? Also, why didn't you run when you had the opportunity?"

Christine bit her bottom lip anxiously. _What should I say? What does he want to hear? _After several long seconds of silence, she finally decided that the truth would be best. "Y-you think you own me, but you're wrong. I'm a person, not a piece of property. I needed you to know that, so I did the only thing I could think to do. I hurt you." Fidgeting under his intense stare, she continued, "Actually, I kind of thought I killed you. And _that _was what stopped me from running. I-I've never hurt anyone before, and the thought that I might have _killed_ you sort of paralyzed me."

Just repeating what she'd thought in the kitchen was making her angry, though. She crossed her arms and spat, "I don't even know why I cared. You deserve whatever happens to you." She nearly gasped at her own defiant words. This wasn't the time to get angry at the insane, explosive kidnapper in front of her.

"Go on," he whispered, as if her hateful words hadn't affected him at all.

"Um," she stuttered, surprised that he wasn't mad. "Well, I needed to see if you were alive, so I walked towards you and made sure you were still breathing. You were, so I turned your body over so that you were lying on your back. And-" She gulped at the memory. "That was when I saw your face. Your mask broke and came off when you fell-"

Before she could say more, Erik's eyes widened and he darted out of the room. _My face! It is bare for her to see! _He headed straight for his bedroom to his closet where other masks were stored. With a shaky hand, he chose a white full-faced mask and quickly put it on before calmly walking back to Christine's room. She was standing in the same place as before looking stunned. "I apologize for that," he said smoothly, acting completely different than before. "You should never have to see such a sight. Now, please continue."

Christine blinked before flat-out saying, "Your face doesn't bother me."

Erik froze in place. "What was that?" he asked, unsure if he'd heard right.

"Your face doesn't bother me," she repeated with a shrug. "You don't have to wear a mask if you don't want to. I mean, they're probably uncomfortable, and it might be good for your face to breathe some."

Her words were causing his heart to pound. _S-she...cares? _

He looked to be completely dumbfounded, so Christine sighed. "Look, it's not a big deal. Wear it if you want to, don't wear it if you don't want to. Either way."

Still, he couldn't speak. To hear her say such a thing... "I'm sorry," he finally murmured. "It's just.. No one has ever said that to me before."

_Yeah, duh.. It's because you always wear a mask. People aren't able to see your face, so they're not able to say what they think of it. _She didn't say what she was thinking, though. Instead, she merely shrugged, still fidgeting slightly under his stare.

Erik turned to his own thoughts for a moment. _I was wrong. She is not like everyone else. She is so very different. Oh, how I love her.. _"You may finish your story, if you'd like," he said softly.

Christine definitely noticed the sudden adoration in his tone. _Is telling the truth the wrong thing to do? I don't want him to be taking this the wrong way... _"So, anyway, I looked at your face and then you woke up. That's about it." She refrained from telling him her new revelations about why he was the way he was, because she didn't know how he would take it.

"I see," Erik said, still pondering over everything. "It was very wrong of you to do what you did, but I suppose I understand why you did it."

She wanted to make sure he did understand, so she repeated what she'd first said. "I don't belong to you. Do you finally get that?"

"Do you still hate me?" he suddenly asked.

Christine didn't speak for a moment, but it wasn't because his abrupt words were surprising. No, it was because her hatred for him was something else that had changed when she'd seen his face. "Why does that matter?" she asked defensively.

"It matters to me."

"I hate what you've done," she said, deciding not to directly answer his question. "You've kidnapped me, you've forced me to marry you, you lock me in this room all the time, you try to control _everything_. It's annoying, not to mention that it's so _wrong_." Her eyes then took on a distant look. "But, I realize something now..."

"And what might that be?" Erik asked patiently.

She hesitated, knowing she previously had decided not to tell him.. _Oh well.. _"You kidnapped me because, well, you didn't know it was wrong. You married me because you want to be normal. You want to feel accepted. You want me to love you, but... Do you really love me? Just think about it. You're doing all of this for all the wrong reasons, which makes me believe that this love you say you feel for me isn't real. It's all in your head."

A small smile reached his lips. "You are right about one thing. I do want to feel accepted. And, over the course of a year, you have made it so that I feel just that." The smile on his face grew as he remembered their voice lessons. "We did have good times together, didn't we?" he asked, but it didn't seem like the question was directed to anyone in particular. "Yes, and we can continue to have good times."

"But, we can't." _Did he not register anything I said? _"Not like this."

Erik gazed at her. "My dear Christine, my love for you is very real. It increases with each passing second. The longer I know you, the more intense my love for you becomes. I brought you here and married you because I know we can be happy together. You can be happy, I can be happy. If you would let me, I could make you the happiest woman alive. Will you give me a chance, Christine? Will you give _us _a chance?"

Well, there was one plus about the _way_ he was speaking, she supposed- at least he wasn't trying to hypnotize her. That was a good thing because she obviously wasn't very good at keeping from being hypnotized. It was just everything he was saying that was the problem. And his words made her so nervous. He always made everything sound so final, so resolute. Even if he was questioning her, he always had a way of making questions sound like statements that didn't need answers. "I have a boyfriend," she pointed out tiredly, not even sure why that was the first thing she was mentioning.

He shook his head. "_Had. _You _had _a boyfriend. But, I must ask- Do you love him?" If she said 'yes', that boy was going to die.

Christine's voice wasn't tired anymore as she yelled, "You can't decide that! I _have _a boyfriend, damn it!" _God, he just doesn't get it! He can't control me!_

"You didn't answer my question."

She opened her mouth to speak, but words didn't come. 'Love'. It was something she'd been questioning for a while now, actually. Did she love Robert? Well... No, in truth she didn't. Not really. "No, ok? I don't. Are you happy now? Why in the hell do you feel the need to drag things out of me? Just leave me alone!"

"I can't do that, Christine."

Rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, she huffed. "Yeah, yeah, you can't leave me alone. I get it. You feel like you have to be near me all the damn time, and when you're not, you can just lock me in a room so that I'm alone and bored shitless."

Erik chuckled at her language. "My, you do know how to curse, don't you?" She glared at him. "I suppose I don't have to lock your door, if that's what you want."

"Yeah right," Christine said, not believing him for a second. "You'd be afraid I'd break through a window or something."

"Actually, angel, the windows are bullet-proof and have locks, so I would not worry about that."

Her eyes narrowed. "How did you get all this high-tech, expensive stuff?"

Erik smiled mischievously. "Let's just say, I have connections."

"Whatever." Christine decided she didn't really care. "So, you won't lock me in here anymore. But, you know, I still won't be happy. You said I can be happy. You said you could make me the happiest woman alive. Well, the only way I'll be happy is if you let me go. But, you're not going to do that, are you?"

"No, I'm not," he said honestly.

_We'll just see about that, _Christine thought daringly._ We'll see how long he can stand to be around me. He claims to love me, but I don't believe it. And I'm going to make it so that he doesn't believe it, either._

"Perhaps you would like to sing?" Erik asked hopefully, changing topics.

_Hmm... Good idea.. _"Sure. Let's sing," she replied, a plan already in motion. This time, however, the plan wouldn't involve an escape. The plan would be plain, simple, and to the point.

Christine was going to win this battle, she was sure of it. Maybe she didn't 'hate' him. That was too strong of a word. She couldn't hate someone who was as clueless and out of it as Erik was. But, she could try to guide him towards the right direction and get through to him. And if it took these devious little plans to do it, then she was going to keep on creating them until she succeeded.

* * *

**Sorry it's been a while since the last update. I've been pretty busy with school and stuff. **

**I know some of you thought Erik was going to be really mad about what Christine had done. I thought so, too. But, it seemed my brain had other plans. I hope his reaction was ok. **

**I'm afraid this chapter might have felt like a filler, but all of this needed to be addressed. Now, things should get interesting. There are definitely going to be some trust issues in the future, as well as more arguments. But, there will also be some problem solving, and feelings are going to come into the picture at some point. HungrySoprano wanted to make this an E/C story, and I want to, as well. It may seem a little far-fetched right now, but things are going to change for both Erik and Christine.**

**Stay tuned for more!**

**Thank you so much to those who read and reviewed the previous chapter! Even though I'm horrible at replying to reviews, please know that I love and appreciate all of you! You really know how to make me happy :)**

**Please review!! (Sorry for the long Author's Note..) Oh, and I'll try to update Pulse and Distractions soon, as well as this story :)  
**

**-Lauren **


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Erik warmed his fingers up quickly by playing through a few scales on the piano. He was very excited for their voice lesson to get started. It felt like he hadn't heard Christine's voice in a lifetime, and he was eager to hear her magnificent instrument again.

Finishing his routine on the piano, he turned to Christine and asked, "Are you ready?"

Christine could see the look of anticipation in his eyes. She could hear the excitement in his tone. And she was glad. For him to want to hear her voice so badly was exactly what she wanted. He was in for a big surprise. "Sure," she replied dully.

He studied her unenthusiastic expression for a moment before turning in his seat and placing his fingers on the keys. "Now, we will sing the first, third and fifth of the scale and then back down on an '-ee' vowel. We will move up by half steps." He played an example one time, as he always did during their voice lessons, before saying, "Shall we?"

_Here goes... _She took a deep breath and then proceeded to sing... horribly. Everything was wrong, from her posture to her tone quality.

Erik stopped playing after the first four notes. He instantly turned towards her with wide eyes. "Christine, what is wrong?" he asked worriedly.

_Time to play the 'girl who's lost everything' role. _"Everything," she replied, sounding disheartened. _I have to be the perfect actress, although what I'm about to say is actually true. _"I can't sing here, like this. I just...can't."

"Oh, my sweet angel," he said softly, sympathetically. "You can if you try. Just try. Alright?" he asked gently. He turned back towards the piano, and they attempted the same exercise again. It was even worse the second time. Staring blankly at the keys, he realized that he hadn't expected it to be this way. Her voice was _always _exquisite. Never once had he heard it lack effort. She always gave it her all, and it was always beautiful. This, though, _this _was... painful.

"Erik?" Christine called out. _Maybe he's realizing what keeping me here as a prisoner is doing to me._

Not even his name on her lips was able to bring him joy. He stood from the bench and looked at her in anguish. "Christine, what can I do?"

Looking at him as he looked at her, she could tell that he really would do anything for her, which she still wasn't able to get used to. "Nothing. You can't do anything." She forced her voice to sound lifeless.

"There must be something..." He began to contemplate.

"Everything's been taken from me," Christine suddenly acknowledged aloud. She watched as Erik looked at her again. "You've taken everything from me," she mumbled without energy while trying to make it sound like her words weren't rehearsed. "I guess that's why I can't sing... You've taken that, too."

He stared at her. "I am to blame for your not being able to sing properly." Erik supposed he knew deep down that it was because of him, but the confirmation was still hard to bear. "I- I'm sorry."

Christine couldn't suppress a gasp when hearing him say that. He'd never _apologized _for his actions. _Wait a second, though.. _"What are you sorry for?"

"For putting you through this," he replied, nearly choking on the words. He sighed while trying to control his emotions. "If only you'd willingly agreed to marry me when I asked the first time..."

No longer acting, she looked into his eyes and murmured, "If only you hadn't kidnapped me?" _Please say you regret it.. Please.. _

Desperately, he tried to make her understand. "It had to happen. I need you, don't you see? Without you, I am nothing. Together, we can be an unstoppable force."

"Why do you always say things like that? Like we're superheroes or something," she elaborated. Really, she was quite curious. _To get into his mind would make things easier. _

"With you by my side, I do feel like one," he said honestly. "But, it is much more than that. We are meant to be together. Our musical abilities confirm it. Never have I met someone as talented as you. And yet, your voice continues to grow. It is unbelievable how gifted you are. Music is the second most important thing in my life. Surely you are aware of how compatible we are."

_I'm the most important thing in his life.. How sad.. _"We might be similar in a musical way, but we're completely different outside of that."

"No, we're not." Erik sounded very sure of himself.

"How else are we similar?"

He smiled while thinking about it. "We are both shy. It is not easy for us to become comfortable around others. However, it did not take long for me to become comfortable around you. That is beside the point, though." He paused before saying, "Please do not take offense to this, but I know why it is that you do not love that boy. True, he may and probably does hold a number of bad qualities, but you would not say he is your _boyfriend _if you believed that. No, you do not love him because you are not fully comfortable around him. The chemistry you've always longed for is lacking, is it not?"

Christine was speechless for a moment, and it was because of the truth in his words. She had no idea how he could know that. _Am I really that readable? _No, she couldn't be. Not even Meg or her parents were able to guess what he'd just stated. He was right, there really wasn't any chemistry between her and Robert. She'd just always hated to admit it, though. She cared for Robert, but not as much as he cared for her.

"I'm right," Erik said knowingly.

"So maybe you are." Her previously-planned lifelessness was quickly fading. "Just because Robert and I don't have much chemistry doesn't mean that you and I do, if that's what you're suggesting."

"That's exactly what I am suggesting. Our bond is.. magical."

"It's one-sided!" she exclaimed. "You think we're meant for each other, that I belong to you and you belong to me, and blah blah, but it's a bunch of bull shit!" Her hand reached up to massage her forehead in frustration.

As if he hadn't heard her, Erik asked, "Would you like to know what was going through my mind when I decided to kidnap you?" Jumping right into it, he admitted, "At first, I was sad. Your denying my proposal shattered my dreams. I'd had so many plans for us, but your answer destroyed them. Anger replaced sadness as I continued to think about it, though. I truly had been under the impression that you felt as I felt, but I had been wrong. And, that _boyfriend_.. Well, thoughts of you and him together only added to my fury. But, sadness returned when I came to realize that I would never be near you again." His eyes focused on hers. "You have no idea how devastated I was to realize that. But, that was when I realized that there was another way. There was a way to see you again, to see you every day. I had to kidnap you."

"You're so self-centered," Christine insulted angrily.

Erik looked down as he slowly said, "One has no choice but to focus on oneself when they are shunned by the rest of the world." Looking at her again, he continued, "But, I did not only do this for myself. Christine, I have been shunned by society numerous times. I have had to face some of the world's many horrors. I have had to conquer death. To think that you could see or become victim to any of that is a horrific thought. I had to save you."

She was definitely shocked to hear that as an explanation for why he kidnapped her. "Whoa, just hold on a second. You felt like you had to take me away from my family because I wasn't safe?" It was completely messed up.

"I do wish it could have been different, but yes. You weren't safe. No one as good as you is safe from the cruelties of the world."

"That's stupid. I've been safe for the past eighteen years. It's because of you that _that _had to change." Christine shook her head. "Look, just because _you're _paranoid doesn't mean I have to be."

"Perhaps you are right. I am paranoid by nature, but it doesn't have to include you. I have reasons for hating the world, but you don't. If you were to experience what I have experienced, though, you would feel as I feel. Thank goodness you have been kept from it. I suppose I have your parents to thank for that, as well."

Christine nodded. "I have good parents, so why won't you let me see them again?" She could feel tears enter her eyes as she continued to think about them. She just missed them so much.

Erik took a step forward longing to touch her precious face, but he stopped himself. "Because you will leave me, and then I will be left alone." His eyes closed. "I have been alone for far too long."

She actually did feel sorry for him. It was weird to feel anything for him. She also was beginning to feel bad for her actions, which was the strangest feeling yet. "The way I'm acting, you must still be feeling very alone."

A soft look entered his eyes. "But you have shown me more kindness than anyone."

After the way she'd treated him throughout this entire mess, his words seemed completely ridiculous... Suddenly, a thought entered her mind. She was longing for something, and for the first time it wasn't just her freedom. "Erik, will you tell me about your past? What happened to you? What is it that makes you hate the world so much?"

_...She cares? _It was at least the third time he'd been surprised to find that out. "It's a very long story," he said in a guarded way.

"Well, I obviously have a lot of time on my hands."

"It may give you nightmares."

"I don't care."

Erik could tell that she truly wanted to hear him talk about his nightmare of a past. _She thinks her life is hell? She has no idea.. _"Alright, I will tell you. Come, let's sit in the den. We will be more comfortable there."

Christine followed him while wondering if this was a good idea or not. They'd had many talks since the kidnapping had taken place, but this last one had been a little different. Sure, she still didn't agree with his reasons for kidnapping her, but something about his explanation held her interest, and she was wanting to hear more. She had a strange feeling that knowing his past was going to change things, though. To understand him would change things considerably.

But, for the first time, she was welcoming the thought of 'change'. After all, it had to be better than the current repetitive way things were going.

* * *

**Ugh, I haven't updated this story in such a long time. I am so sorry. My mind just hasn't been able to focus on it. But, this popped in my head today, so I wrote it down. I know it was short, but the next chapter will be longer.**

**The repetition of their conversations is about to change, I promise. Erik telling Christine about his horrible past will change things, that's for sure. And, it might just be for the better ;)**

**I want to thank you all so much for reviewing! It really means a lot to me, and I'm going to try to update as soon as possible. Encouragement would help, as always.**

**Please review! :)**

**-Lauren**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Slowly leading Christine to the den, Erik distantly said, "Part of me wishes I could show you..."

"Show me what?" Christine asked, but most of her attention was directed towards her always-interesting surroundings. She really was always looking for a way out...although, from past experience she knew it was useless to try to run away.

"My past. Where I went, what I did. It is sometimes hard for me to _believe _all that I went through..." Erik sighed, and the sound seemed almost wistful.

He looked to be in a sort of daydream, and Christine didn't like it. She wanted him in his normal frame of mind when he told her about his past, even if normal didn't equal sane. In the grand scheme of things, anything other than 'normal' -in this situation- would serve as a back-step for both of them.

"But, it is impossible," he continued. "You are a missing person, I am the reason you are missing." Erik stopped and turned towards her. "We have to be very careful, don't we?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned and continued walking.

Christine could only look after him with one raised eyebrow.

When they reached the den, they sat in separate armchairs about eight feet apart facing one another. Christine wasn't so sure about this idea anymore. He was acting strange... As if the person he was in the past was different than the person he was now. Maybe his past wasn't just bad, but _really _bad. Perhaps... "Look, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to."

Erik shook his head. "No, what's done is done. I _must_ tell you."

There was silence.

Then, as if suddenly coming to the realization of _how _to go about telling her, Erik sat up straighter and began, "My father died when I was five...heart attack. Mother was left all alone with a child to raise. She hated the mask... Seeing it so frequently was what made her turn to alcohol. In fact, it also drove her to insanity. You see, she insisted that I was a repulsive handful and that intoxication could help her manage her life and mine.

"Mother was also quite the shoplifter. Somehow, she was always able to steal at least one bottle of liquor each time she entered a liquor store." He shook his head and sighed. "The woman beat me daily. I was but a child. Yet again, the mask is to blame." He shrugged. "I discovered that the only way to prove myself was to steal things for her. So, I did. I became a shoplifter at the age of nine. The beatings didn't stop, no, but I could see fear in her eyes at times."

He seemed to notice Christine's confusion. "Yes, she feared me. Who wouldn't fear a monstrous child who is able to commit severe crimes without getting caught? I was a natural con artist. Well, Mother soon decided that I was too dangerous. She told me that anyone who can look as I look and commit such sins at such a young age deserves nothing. So, after claiming that I was the 'Devil's Child', she abandoned me on a street corner in a bad part of town. I was young, only eleven."

There was a long pause. Christine was thinking of all he'd told her so far, and Erik was allowing her a few moments to process everything.

"What happened next?" she asked, swallowing hard.

He studied her from his distance. "As you can expect, I developed some... bad habits. Stealing, naturally. But, I also delved into the dangerous world of drugs. At one time, I was a powerful dealer. However, because of the way I looked, there were still those who wanted to hurt me...kill me. I will refrain from going into detail, though, as your innocent mind should not have to hear such things."

She didn't try to sway him.

"Eventually, and it took a long time mind you, I acquired a great deal of money and respect from, for lack of a better term, the 'underworld'. Of course, the respect had to be gained by force. I had to make others _learn _to respect me.

Christine had a feeling his methods of teaching involved violence.

"I was never satisfied, though. I was never happy. My mother stole such feelings the very moment she abandoned me. But then..." Erik's face seemed to light up. "I discovered music. My life was forever changed. No longer was stealing important, nor were drugs, or the power that came with them. Music was all that mattered. I was happy when I was playing. The piano became my only companion. Years passed. I bought a house. I visited stores. I _purchased _things. I was a changed man. I even made two acquaintances. Your music teachers, Nadir Kahn and Marie Giry. I occasionally played for them. They thought I was quite good, and perhaps I was." He looked into Christine's eyes then. "What do you think, angel? Do you think I am good?"

Christine thought about what to say to that. The answer was obvious, and she supposed it wouldn't really hurt to compliment him. "Yeah, you play well."

"Thank you, Christine," he said, as if her words meant the world to him. "Well, you now know the majority of my past. Does it help?"

_...Yes, a little, _Christine realized. For him to hate the world so much was understandable after all his own mother had put him through. But, for him to think that he had actually done her a _favor_ by kidnapping her still didn't make sense. "So, that's it?"

"Yes, that's it." His tone suggested that he had nothing left to say on the matter.

_I'm tired, _Christine thought. Exhausted, really. His story had put things into perspective, but she was finding it all a little overwhelming. "I-I'm tired."

Erik nodded once and gently said, "Of course you are. Here, let me show you to your room."

Christine followed him while silently analyzing the back of his head the entire time. Then, he left her by saying, "Sleep well, my angel."

She laid down on her bed and stared up at her ceiling. _I don't believe that he was born evil. No, his mother was responsible for turning him into that. And then, after realizing that her son was a threat, she left him... His life went from bad to worse. He was a thief and a drug dealer...and probably a murderer. _

_But, he changed... _She remembered him telling her that. His life got better. Music turned him into a decent person.

She believed that, too, because that was the state he'd been in when she met him a year ago. Her school chorus teachers had trusted Erik enough to send her to him for lessons, and she'd seen him as a civilized man up until the day he asked her to marry him.

Then, though, he made a choice. He could have made the right decision, which would have been to leave her alone, but no. He chose to commit an unforgivable crime. It was like he became the thief he had been as a kid. _He chose to steal me away, to take me against my will. _

There was no way to take it back. In the past, he could just put the items he'd stolen out of his mind and choose a different path. But, to steal a _person_ was different. _You can't just apologize for kidnapping someone and expect to be forgiven without punishment. You have to pay. _

_It's not like he's even realized that he's done something wrong, though! He still thinks kidnapping me was the right choice. _

It still felt like a weird dream, the whole 'being kidnapped' thing. _I can now include myself on the list of kidnapped victims. Never thought I'd be able to say that._

_Wait... _Christine sat very still for a moment while something processed in her mind. _He's clueless, he's delusional. And, this has not been the stereotypical kidnapping, in that he hasn't hurt me. He's been... nice to me, aside from the fact that he won't listen to me. But, what would happen if I reminded him just how gruesome kidnappings usually are? I could give him a few examples of some bad ones and try to convince him that he doesn't want this to be thought of like that. The only answer would be to let me go, right? _She realized that it could very well be a bad idea. What if he were to decide that he should turn things around, and not in the right way? _What if he decides to hurt me? _She definitely didn't want that, but, at the same time, nothing else had worked so far, so why not give this a shot?

_Would it even work, or is there another way? _

"I guess there's only one way to find out," she whispered while looking at her closed bedroom door. One good thing that had come from earlier was that Erik had promised not to keep her locked in like a prisoner anymore. Keeping focused on the plan, Christine opened the door and walked out into the hallway. _Now, where is he? _

All the rooms were dark upstairs, so she assumed he was downstairs. She descended the steps slowly feeling nervous about being alone out of her room. _Damn him, anyway... Making me feel like I can't walk around freely._

When she at last reached the bottom step, her eyes turned to the left and found that the light in the den was on. _Bingo, _Christine thought, ready to go through with her plan. She walked towards the intended doorway, but her eyes widened as soon as she saw what Erik was doing...

IIIIIII

Several cars pulled up the driveway of Erik Destler's house. Some of them were police cars, and another held two detectives and Christine's parents. Norah and John Daae were seated with their hands clasped together tightly on their laps. When the car they were in came to a stop, they got out and stood so that they were staring at the house.

They watched from a distance as armed policemen approached the front door. One policeman rang the doorbell, and they all waited anxiously. After about a minute, he rang the doorbell again. Nothing happened. Another policeman who was standing in the front yard with a sort of portable hand-held intercom commanded, "Come out with your hands up. We have the area surrounded." After about a minute of nothing, he commanded again, "Come out, or we'll be forced to invade the premises." Still, nothing happened.

Two policemen finally resorted to breaking down the front door, their weapons ready, and they went inside. A couple of other policemen and the two detectives were stationed outside ready to go in at a moment's notice. Norah and John could only stand with their fists clenched at their sides.

Minutes passed. The search seemed to be taking forever, and Christine's parents were becoming more worried by the second. They'd both been ordered to stay back, or else they would have been inside searching with the police.

A few minutes later, the policemen emerged from the house, and the detectives took their place inside. One of the policemen approached Norah and John.

"What happened?" John asked frantically.

The policeman shook his head sadly. "Neither of them are in there. The house is empty." He noticed the tortured look in Norah's eyes. "The detectives are going to see what they can find. Let's go back to the station. We'll wait there." Most of the policemen and Christine's parents left and headed back to the station to wait.

About two hours passed. When the remaining policemen and detectives entered the station, one of them approached Norah and John.

They felt time stand still as they took in what the detective was telling them. Signs showed that Erik Destler had hurriedly taken many of his belongings out of the house making it look as though he were going on a long trip. There was no evidence of _where _the man was going, though.

What the detective said next was what caused Norah and John's worries to increase even more.

Apparently, there was a room of Erik's house completely devoted to Christine. In fact, the room was a replica of Christine's real bedroom. The creepiest part was that the room contained pictures and drawings of her. It even contained dolls that looked exactly like her. To top it off, it looked as though many of the items that had previously been in the room had been taken away. There weren't sheets on the bed, the book shelf was empty, every dresser drawer was pulled out and empty, and the closet only contained a few articles of clothing.

The conclusion was this: Erik Destler had obviously taken many of his belongings and had driven to an unknown location. And, he'd taken one other thing with him- Christine Daae.

"What are we going to do?" Norah asked on the verge of tears.

"We're going to find her," John replied without hesitation, determination written all over his face.

"We'll broaden the search," the detective said. "This is national news now. We will find them, Mr. and Mrs. Daae. We will."

IIIIIII

Christine sucked in a breath the moment she saw what was going on.

Erik quickly stood the moment he heard her.

"Is that?..." Christine began.

"A ring?" Erik finished for her. "Why yes, it is." He closed the box in his hand.

She gulped, and he frowned for a moment.

"I was hoping to surprise you a little later." Erik smiled at her. "No matter, though. It does belong to you, so you have a right to see it." Erik walked towards her then. "My love..." he murmured with complete devotion.

Christine could only watch as he closed the distance between them. Then, she watched as he knelt to the floor in front of her.

"Christine..." His eyes left hers for a moment in order to look at the ring on her finger. "The ring you are wearing now is not good enough for you. Therefore, I wish for you to have another. Perhaps it will be worthy of your beauty." He opened the box in his hands and gave her a moment to look at it.

She noted that it was exquisite. A large diamond adorned the center of the silver band, and two emeralds were on either side of the diamond. Christine could only stare at it.

"Of course, nothing can ever be worthy of you, but... Do you like it?" Erik asked hopefully.

Christine couldn't help but whisper, "It's beautiful."

"As are you," Erik whispered back.

Realizing her mistake, she shook her head and looked into his eyes. "But Erik... You can't buy my love."

He relished his name on her lips, although her words were concerning. "I know that, Christine. However, I believe you deserve a proper wedding ring. After everything I have done, this is the least you deserve."

An opportunity presented itself. "Can you elaborate on that?"

Erik sighed. "I realize you aren't happy here. Who could truly be happy with a monster such as I? But, I still hold hope. One day, I hope you can be happy with me. After all, I love you so..." Tears escaped his eyes, and a vulnerable sob left him.

Christine inwardly gasped, never having seen him cry before.

"Oh, Christine... Is there hope? Is there any hope?" He continued to cry in front of her.

Her heart was pounding. "I- I don't know..." Then, she outwardly gasped. Never had she felt _uncertain _of her feelings before. Actually, she'd never felt anything for him... until now.

* * *

**I know it's been forever, and I'm really sorry. Life is crazy. I have a new job, and it takes up most of my time. But, I won't bore you with the details haha.**

**Ok, things are **_**finally **_**turning around for Erik and Christine. How and why? You'll find out in the next chapter :)**

**Stay tuned! And, please review!**

**-Lauren**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Christine's words repeated themselves in Erik's mind over and over again as he continued to kneel in front of her with the ring box still in his hand. Frozen in place, he stared unblinkingly at the distant wall. Everything was silent aside from their breathing.

The words Christine had just spoken were being repeated in her mind, too, as she stood frozen in front of Erik.

"You don't know?" Erik finally murmured, making sure what he heard was real. He slowly lowered the ring box so that there was nothing between them and looked up into her eyes.

"Um," Christine stuttered. "I-"

"Would you like to sit down?" He stood up and, without waiting for an answer, led her to a couch. She sat without saying a word, and Erik moved to sit at the other end.

Neither spoke, at first. Erik was waiting for her to explain herself, but Christine really didn't know how.

Observing this, Erik decided to speak first. "Allow me to make sure I understand. I asked if there was any hope for us, and your response was, 'I don't know'. You are aware of what I meant, if there is a chance that you could ever love me?" After a moment, she nodded.

Erik sat up straighter, not being able to help the feeling of hope that was rising in his chest. "But, before… There was never any hope before."

Christine knew she needed to start talking, and fast, or else he was going to take things out of proportion. "Hold on, Erik. I don't want you to take what I said the wrong way."

"You are unsure," he continued for her. "How can I take that the wrong way?"

She knew he was completely capable of turning her words around so that they were exactly what he wanted to hear. "I just don't want you to… get excited over nothing." _Now I'm lying, _Christine admitted to herself. _This definitely isn't 'nothing'. _He didn't need to know that, though.

Erik's eyes lowered. "I see."

_Well, that's different, _she thought, referring to the sudden sadness she saw in him. Christine was also surprised to find herself almost wanting to reassure him that everything would be ok. _But, that's stupid. As long as he keeps me here against my will, everything cannot be ok. What's gotten into me?_

Deciding to change subjects, her eyes found the ring box he was still holding. To be honest, she was rather curious about it. "Would you care to show me that ring again?"

That she wanted to see it at all was exciting. Erik raised the box so that she could see its contents. "As you can see, the band is white gold. I believe it suits you better than gold would. The diamond in the center is eighteen carats. I designed it myself," he stated proudly. "Do you like it?"

Christine couldn't help but admire it. The intricate details were impressive. And yes, she liked it. Nodding, she said, "I guess you really do know me."

He smiled. "Yes, I guess I do." Now, all Erik wanted was to see it on her finger. Nothing would please him more than for her to accept it. But, would she throw it aside once she was away from him, as she had the other ring? If she were to do that, it would hurt him deeply. "Would you like to wear it?" He wouldn't know if he didn't ask. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

She sighed. Wearing his ring would make him happy, she knew. Christine didn't want to give him anymore reasons to be hopeful, though, especially when she was still so confused about everything. So, she said, "I'm sorry, but I can't. It's really pretty, don't get me wrong, but I can't wear it. It wouldn't be right."

Erik would just have to be satisfied seeing the simple gold band on her finger. "Well, thank you for being honest. I only want you to wear it when it feels right."

_He says that like I'll someday want to wear it.. _Nodding, Christine sat silently. For some reason, the usual feeling of discomfort from being so close to him wasn't present. Actually, all she really felt was boredom. She actually wanted to them to do something. Together. "is there anything to do around here?"

Erik was distracted from his previous sad thoughts. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm kind of bored. I'm wondering if there's anything we can do?" _If nothing else, this could be a way to change the subject and lighten the moment._

" 'We'?"

Christine realized she hadn't exactly ever wanted to include him in anything she did. She'd never wanted his company before. "Yeah, 'we'."

He used to imagine moment like this, where they would spend time together doing different things. "We could sing."

Apparently, Erik didn't remember the horrible time they just had trying to do that. "Something else." If that's all he could come up with, then they were just going to have to continue sitting there in silence.

Thinking quickly, Erik asked, "Would you like to watch a movie?"

A movie. Now that sounded better. It actually sounded enjoyable. "Yeah, that would be good."

Remembering something, though, he frowned. "I only have documentaries here. You may not be interested.."

"What do you have?"

She didn't sound uninterested, so that was promising. Instead of proceeding to name off the numerous documentaries he had, Erik tried to think of one that would interest her. "I carry a series about national parks. They are actually quite good and informative."

"Ok, let's watch one," she said excitedly.

Erik, energized and thrilled by her tone, got up and opened a wooden cabinet that contained a nice sized television, a DVD player, and movies. He then removed Volume One of the series. Handling the remote control to operate the TV, he pressed the 'Power' button.

Neither were prepared for what happened next.

Christine wasn't expecting to see a picture of her face on the screen when the TV came on. Her eyes widened, and she had just enough time to notice that she was watching a national news channel. The headline on the bottom of the screen read, 'Christine Daae Case Update'.

Before she could see anything else, the screen went black. She could only sit there in shock.

Erik's heart was pounding. He hadn't expected that. He hadn't been prepared. _Oh, no… _His eyes slowly turned to Christine who was still looking at the screen, her mouth gaping open.

She felt him looking at her. "Turn it back on," she demanded without hesitation.

_Damn it! _He needed to regain control immediately, or something bad was going to happen. "Forgive me, but I just remembered that the DVD player isn't working," he lied.

"I don't care about that. I want you to turn the TV back on." She was desperate. "Please, it was about me. They know I'm missing. I-I need to know what's happening."

"No, Christine." He couldn't let her see. In truth, he'd been keeping up with her case since the beginning, but for her to know that, for her to know anything about it, was detrimental.

"You refuse to turn it back on?" Christine asked while glaring. The fact that he was denying her the opportunity of knowing about something that pertained directly to her was infuriating.

"It's unimportant, Christine-"

"Unimportant?" she yelled. "Unimportant? Maybe the fact that the people I love are suffering is unimportant to you, but it's not to me!" Becoming more angry by the second, she stood and began walking towards what she was fixated on- the remote control in Erik's hand. "I'm sick of this! If you won't turn it on, I will!"

The love of his life was about to try to fight for it. She was about to fight _him _for it. "Please calm down, Christine," he urged. "I'm sure what you're wanting to see isn't on anymore, anyway." She growled at that and continued walking towards him. "What good will it do? Please, angel, this is silly."

"You can't keep things from me, and if it takes kicking your ass to make you figure that out, then that's what I'm going to do!" And then, she was directly in front of him. At first, she tried to reach for the remote, but it didn't work. Erik had a tight grip on it.

Then, she began punching. And she hit him. Christine hit Erik in the upper arms multiple times. He was actually letting her hit him.

Really, though, Erik wasn't focusing on the fact that she was aiming to hurt him. In all honesty, he was _loving _this. Never did he think he would enjoy being punched, but this was _wonderful_.

His love was radiant. She was mesmerizing. And Erik was longing to… kiss her.

Time was passing, and nothing was happening. No retaliation whatsoever. "What the hell is the matter with you, anyway?" Christine yelled while punching. "Why aren't you getting mad?"

All of a sudden, without so much as a sign or anything, Erik dropped the remote so that it landed on the floor and then gently grasped her wrists with both of his hands. He moved towards her until his face was a few inches from her own.

And, without a word, he leaned in and kissed her unexpecting lips.

Christine was initially stunned. She stood immobile as Erik's lips caressed hers.

As the kiss lingered on, however, she still did nothing.

That's when the unthinkable occurred. Christine found herself _responding _to Erik's kiss. Her lips began to move against his, just as his were moving against hers.

_WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? _her mind suddenly yelled, which caused her to snap out of it immediately. She stepped away from him shakily, and it was easier than she thought due to the fact that he'd let go of her wrists a long time ago.

Terror filled her mind. She shook her head back and forth to escape the unwanted, yet truthful thoughts.

Looking once at Erik, his eyes portrayed the fact that he knew. He knew what had happened. Face flushed, Christine fled from the room, ran upstairs, and slammed her bedroom door shut once she was inside.

_What just happened? What in God's name just happened? _Christine's mind was reeling. One second she was mad as hell and hitting him, and the next they were kissing. And she was participating!

_Why would he want to kiss me? I was so angry, yet his retaliation was to kiss me? It doesn't make sense. _

Sweat was developing on her forehead as she began to think about what made even less sense than his kissing her… _I kissed him back. I freaking kissed my kidnapper! Am I going insane? Is all of this actually making me crazy? _

Maybe there really was something wrong with her. After all, she did say 'I don't know' in answer to his 'is there any hope for us' question. To be unsure about such a thing was just completely _wrong_.

_I'm being stupid! Other people are worried sick about me while I'm here kissing the man responsible for their suffering? It's not right! _

Christine's eyes found the door. _What's Erik doing? What could he be thinking? And what in the world am I going to say to him when he decides he wants to talk about what happened? _

At least five minutes had passed since Christine left the den, but Erik was still standing in the exact same spot he had been. On the outside, he was completely still. On the inside, his thought and emotions were in overdrive.

It wasn't his imagination, he was sure of it. His lips wouldn't still be tingling if he'd just imagined everything that happened. So, since he was positive this was reality, there was a lot to think about.

Well, there was only one thing to think about, really.

Yes, she'd seen herself on TV. Yes, he'd refused to turn it back on. And yes, she'd gotten furious with him for it. Erik's heart fluttered just thinking of her fury…

Although at the time he'd known it wasn't a good idea, he'd chosen to give into his desires and kiss her.

All of that was important, of course, but it didn't compare to how important her actions were. She'd kissed him back. She'd responded with every ounce of passion as him. There was no question.

It didn't last long, but that didn't matter. What's done was done. She'd kissed him back and he'd lost even more of himself to her in the process. Was it possible to feel like he'd never truly loved her until this moment? His love for her was definitely more powerful than ever.

Now all he needed was _her_, to talk to her, to look at her, to be near her…

Apparently, she was beginning to feel the same way.

…Nevermind the fact that she'd run away after their kiss. Erik's wouldn't pay any attention to that.

His angel was coming around. She was falling in love with him, just as he knew she would.

A small smile came to his lips then. It was the first movement he'd made since their glorious kiss.

His eyes looked upward towards the second floor. It was time to find her.

* * *

**I will be posting the next chapter really soon, you can count on that :)**

**Reviews would be awesome!**

**Thanks!**

**-Lauren**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Christine watched as the door knob turned. She had no idea what was about to happen. She supposed Erik was going to want an explanation, but that was the problem. Christine didn't know why she was behaving this way.

She could only hope the answer would come quickly, as in before any other weird incident could occur.

Erik opened the door and stood in the doorway silently asking for an invitation inside, but all he received was a nervous glance from her. After a moment, he stepped inside the room and looked around at all the touches of Christine.

_What is he doing? _Christine wondered.

His eyes found hers. "Forgive me, but I don't think I have ever asked," he began. "Do you like your bedroom?"

_What a way to start this conversation… _She looked around for a few seconds while recalling the first time she ever studied everything in the room. She remembered thinking it was creepy how he seemed to know everything she was interested in. Since then, she'd barely touched anything.

So, actually, he could probably answer his own question. That being said, was this a trap? "I don't know," she finally replied, although that answer only made her think about earlier when she'd told him the same thing to another question. _I hope he doesn't make some connection, because there isn't one._

"Hmmm.." Erik walked around briefly before acknowledging, "Nothing has been moved. Perhaps, if you were to become acquainted with your belongings, you would know if you liked them."

_What's he getting at? _

"You seem to have become acquainted with me…" The same small smile he'd made downstairs returned to his masked face.

Christine was beginning to sense that he was insinuating something. "Look, about what happened down there…"

"Yes?" Erik encouraged, delighted that she was bringing it up.

"That was… wrong. It shouldn't have happened."

" 'What' shouldn't have happened?" he asked nonchalantly.

He was toying with her! He was considering this to be a game. Christine crossed her arms deciding that two could play. "You shouldn't have kissed me when I was so mad at you." She knew that wasn't the answer he was wanting.

Erik was amused by her avoidance. He smirked. "Well, I think it's safe to say your anger was short-lived. I believe that was made perfectly clear."

"Short-lived?" Her eyes narrowed. "No, Erik, I'm _still _mad at you. I don't think that's short-lived."

"Don't deny your feelings for me," he whispered while staring deep into her eyes.

"I'm not denying anything. You have no idea how I feel." He thought he was so smart, and it was beginning to get on Christine's nerves.

Sick of this little game, Erik firmly said, "We both know what happened downstairs. I kissed you and you responded. You can only delay thinking about it for so long, Christine. Tell me the truth. Did you or did you not kiss me back?"

There was no way of avoiding it any longer. _Fine. _She sighed tiredly. "Yeah, I did for about two seconds, but-"

"And did you or did you not enjoy it?"

It was like she was being interrogated by a lawyer or something. Christine crossed her arms in a defiant sort of way. "I haven't really given my feelings towards it much thought. Maybe that answers your question."

"You're lying."

_Yeah, I am, _her mind whispered. "Why would I lie to you?"

"You're lying because you are afraid of what others will think."

"What others?" she asked, looking from left to right. "I don't see any others, which is part of the problem. You took me away from the people I love."

" _I'm _here."

"What?"

"By others, I didn't mean _them. _I meant _me_. You're afraid of what I will think. In fact, you're terrified."

Christine rolled her eyes and let out a short laugh. "It always has to be about you, doesn't it?"

Erik knew he was thinking more clearly than she was now. She was in denial, and she didn't even know it. "Angel, this most definitely isn't about _me_. It's about _us_. Don't you see? You're wasting all of your energy trying to go against what I'm saying." His gaze softened. "You don't always have to make things so difficult, you know."

She suddenly realized something… He was right. She did always make things harder than they needed to be. Or, at least, she was making _this _harder than it needed to be. _Why am I making this so hard? I could just tell him the kiss was nothing and 'I don't know' really meant 'hell no, there's no hope for us'. Why can't I tell him that? _

Christine's eyes found his. _Whoa… _She wasn't prepared for such a look. Sure, he'd looked at her intensely plenty of times before, but there was such _depth _to this look. It was as if he was seeing inside her soul. And his gaze was so gentle. "Why do you have to look at me that way?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"It's just-.. I-.." Christine shrugged and looked down. "I don't know," she said helplessly. "I really don't know, Erik."

Studying her confused face, he asked, "Perhaps you need some time to think?"

She nodded. Did she ever… "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Erik gazed at her a moment more before leaving the room, closing the door on his way out. He would give her space. In the past, he hadn't been willing, but she just looked so lost. Perhaps she was confused because she was still hurting. He did kidnap her and force her to marry him, after all. His giving her time would help. _Time heals all wounds… _

Christine was tired of thinking so much. _Maybe a nap would help. _Well, it couldn't hurt. Her mind would be much clearer after some well-deserved sleep.

IIIIIII

Hours later, she awoke with a headache. She'd had a weird dream. Erik had been in it, and so had her boyfriend, Robert. They'd been standing in a room side by side with their backs facing her. From behind, Christine hadn't been able to differentiate one from the other. Her job had been to pick one of them. She needed to pick the one she had the closest bond to.

She'd approached the one on the right and tapped his shoulder. And when he'd turned around, she could see that she'd picked Erik. A loud radio announcer's voice then had announced, "Christine Destler has chosen her husband, Erik Destler!"

She'd woken up then, and now she was lying in bed wondering why she'd dreamt it and what it meant.

Sighing, she sat up and stretched her arms above her head.

This was getting to be ridiculous, really. Since when was it more important to think about her feelings for her kidnapper than it was to think about the people who were really being affected by all of this- her friends and family?

Christine had been so focused on her own life that she'd neglected the people who mattered most. _Mom… Dad… _

Just the thought of them brought tears to her eyes. She hated to think that they were in pain over her disappearance. But, of course they were. They were her parents. It was their job to worry, even if she wasn't in danger. But, now that they thought she was in danger, they were probably worried sick.

A knock on her bedroom door jolted Christine from her thoughts. Before she was able to speak, Erik walked into the room. She hurriedly tried to wipe her face clean of tears.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. I was hoping we could talk some more-" He stopped speaking when her face came into view. She was crying! Horrified, Erik asked, "Christine, what is wrong?" He moved towards her bed.

Christine sniffled some before shaking her head. "Nothing. I- it's nothing."

He came to stand at the foot of her bed and gently said, "It's obviously something. Please, talk to me."

Well, she didn't really have any other options. It was either talk to him or continue to bottle it up. Actually, Christine was beginning to think it would be a good idea to approach the subject of her parents. "I don't know if it would do any good telling you, but I… I really miss my parents." Christine looked down as more tears fell down her cheeks.

Erik's heart wrenched in pain at the sight. His beloved was hurting, but there was nothing he could do. Why, oh why could she not forget them and just live happily with him? "I'm sorry, Christine," he murmured sympathetically.

She sighed and didn't say anything else.

_I can't bear to see her in pain. There must be something I can do… _"You aren't happy," he stated while studying her, trying to come up with anything that could help.

"I'd be happier if I could reassure them. It's just, I don't like to think that they're worried."

"Reassure them?" Erik asked, focusing on the prospect that she wasn't altogether unhappy being with him.

"If I tell them I'm safe, maybe they will be ok. I'd do anything to ease their minds.

Her words brought him back to reality. "So, what you are saying is that you would lie to them?"

Christine looked up at him. "It's not a lie to tell them I'm safe, is it?"

"No, of course not," Erik replied without hesitation. "I wasn't sure if you thought you were safe, though."

She shrugged. "I know you wouldn't hurt me."

He felt like hugging her in that moment. She finally understood. Softly, he said, "I'm very glad you realize that now." Thinking it over, he made a decision. "If I were to let you communicate with them, would it help?"

Christine gasped. "You would actually let me talk to them?"

Her excitement caused his nerves to increase, but he couldn't deny her, especially when she looked so eager. "In a way, yes. I would let you write a letter, and I would mail it to them."

"A letter?" Christine wasn't too pleased with that. "Why can't I call them, at least?"

"I'm sure police will be monitoring calls, and I cannot risk them finding our whereabouts."

"You mean, they could track the phone we use?"

"Yes, I believe they have the capability." Actually, he wasn't sure they could track a cell phone, but her calling them and talking to them was too risky. What if she were to say the wrong thing? What then?

"But, I want to hear their voices." Simply writing a letter wasn't enough.

Erik had to stay firm. "I'm sorry, but this is the best I can do."

She forced herself to stay calm. Getting angry would probably cause him to change his mind. "Well, how are you going to mail it?"

"We will drive to a post office, and I will drop it off in a mail box.

Leaving the house to find a post office sounded promising. "Ok." Police would see where the letter was mailed from, and then they would be that much closer to finding her. No matter how confused she was right now, going home was still what she wanted most of all.

"Allow me to get you a pen and paper." Erik left the room and came back carrying a clipboard with one sheet of paper and a pen.

"I guess you don't want me writing much," Christine mumbled with a frown.

"A page should be enough." He needed to make sure she understood. "You are writing to reassure them. You aren't going into depth. It needs to be simple and to the point. Alright?"

Nodding reluctantly, she stayed silent and waited for him to leave so that she could have some privacy.

Aware of her actions, he said, "I'm afraid I must stay, Christine."

She watched him carry a chair to the side of her bed and sit down. "You really don't trust me, do you?" It wasn't really a question.

Erik thought about that before saying, "Well, do you trust me? It goes both ways, doesn't it?"

Not wanting to get into yet another intense talk, she shrugged and began thinking of what to write.

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I know this letter must come as a surprise. I'm sorry I haven't contacted you both before now. It's not because I haven't wanted to. It's because I have been getting used to the way things are now. I can't go into detail, but please know this- I'm safe. You might find that hard to believe, but it's true. I wish I could explain everything, but I don't have time. Neither of you should worry about me, though. You can trust this. I have to go now, but I want you both to know that I love you. I love you both very much._

_Love,_

_Christine_

She was in tears by the end. It was almost unbearably hard not to say 'I miss you both' and 'I wish I could see you'. But, writing those things would contradict her statement of 'I'm safe'. It would probably hurt their feelings, but perhaps that was what needed to happen. If they thought she didn't care to see them or care enough to explain her situation, maybe they'd stop caring. Maybe they'd give up.

That probably would happen. Knowing her parents, they most likely wouldn't even buy that the letter was telling the truth. They would continue to look for her.

Thinking like that wasn't going to do any good, though. Christine would just have to mail the letter, and that would have to be enough.

"Are you finished?" Erik asked hesitantly. He could see that she was crying. He'd read what she'd written while she wrote it. It was perfect, which was relieving. She hadn't revealed anything. Now, the hard part was going to be taking it to a post office.

She nodded. "I guess so."

Feeling the need to reassure her, he whispered, "Don't worry, angel. I will take care of everything."

There was no doubt in Christine's mind that he would, indeed, take care of everything, and that was the worrying part.

At the same time, however, she was getting used to not having a say in anything. That was also worrying.

What if, after everything, she was starting to lose the will to escape?

Yes, she missed the people she cared about. And no, she wasn't happy. But, it seemed like ever since she'd said 'I don't know' to Erik, she was becoming almost _complacent_. And the letter she just wrote seemed to be confirming that feeling, too.

"Are you ready to go, Christine?" he asked. The sooner they returned, the better.

"Yeah, I'm ready." She wondered how long their drive was going to be. If it lasted hours, things were either going to be incredibly awkward between them, or… perhaps the drive could be interesting, if only they were to engage in an enlightening conversation.

Anything to make this feeling of doubt go away…

* * *

**Please review! :)  
**

**-Lauren  
**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Erik led a very quiet Christine to his car in the driveway, his entire body stiff with the dreaded thought of things going awry in some way. He opened the passenger door for her, she got in, he closed the door and walked to his side, and then they drove away.

Everything was going smoothly so far.

IIIIIII

"He's a genius," Nadir Kahn described to a detective sitting across from him. "The very first time I saw Erik, I knew he was intelligent. His air just suggests it, even with the mask hiding his face. But, I never thought he would do this.. I'd always trusted him with giving lessons to children."

"Why?" the detective asked. "What would make you trust him?"

"Well, as I said, he's a genius." Nadir slowly added, "I suppose he was able to manipulate my mind to his liking, in a way." The detective showed no emotion to that, but a shiver rolled down Nadir's spine at the impact of his own words.

"Explain to me how Erik Destler was able to manipulate you, Mr. Kahn."

Nadir knew it wasn't only this detective he was explaining things to. There was a recorder on the table they were sitting at, and he knew others were watching them from the other side of the mirror-like window taking up one wall of the room. "Well, Erik has always seemed very intuitive to my thoughts. He seemed to understand me completely. He would finish my sentences for me sometimes, making me think we were on the same page. And, of course, I spoke with students he'd given lessons to. They all said the same thing, that he was strict and focused only on their lessons when they were together."

"What did Ms. Daae say to you about her voice lessons with him?"

"She basically mimicked the others. There was no reason to believe her lessons were any different from the other students'."

The detective took a moment before asking, "Mr. Kahn, do you have _any _idea where Erik Destler is?"

"No," Nadir replied honestly. "I really have no idea where he could be."

Nodding once, the detective stood. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Kahn."

The door to the investigation room opened, and Nadir walked towards it knowing he hadn't been of any help at all. "I hope you find them," he said before leaving the room.

Marie Giry, Christine's high school choir accompanist, was next to go in. Nadir made brief eye contact with the tired-looking woman as she passed him to take his place.

Her face mirrored everyone else's. They were all exhausted because there wasn't any progress being made in the case. The most anyone knew was that Erik Destler was the prime suspect.

When he'd first found out that it was Erik, Nadir hadn't been too surprised, although the discussion he'd had with the detective suggested that there was no reason to suspect Erik of ever doing anything wrong. The thing about it was, there was no reason to suspect him of doing anything _right _either.

No one knew anything about the masked man, which was serving as the main problem. Where was Erik Destler right now? That was a very good question.

IIIIIII

Everything had been going so smoothly.

That was before they'd driven for four hours and reached a post office in a different state, though. Georgia woods were dense, especially at night, making it difficult for Erik to find Christine, who was currently missing.

She'd run away, which meant that things had certainly gone awry, just as he'd feared they would.

He wouldn't lose all sense of rationality just yet, though. He'd only been looking for her for five minutes. Erik would give it a little more time.

IIII

Christine tried not to curse as numerous tree branches scraped her arms and face.

She was almost free, and that was all that mattered.

Her mind couldn't help but play back through the trip that had gotten her to where she was now…

It had been a rather quiet drive, at first. But, after three and a half hours passed and they still hadn't reached a post office, Christine had decided to talk to him.

"So, I guess you're choosing a post office that's _really _out of the way, huh?"

"I can't take any chances, Christine," Erik simply replied, sounding determined.

He was always so composed. It seemed like he was always taking everything into account and that he knew what the outcome of every situation would be. "You're pretty good at this, Erik." She focused on the speed they were going. Not too fast, not too slow, nothing to alert a cop. If she were in Erik's position, being a kidnapper and all, she wouldn't be half as calm.

He actually chuckled. "Are you giving me some sort of compliment?"

It was obvious that he had no idea what she was getting at. "No, what I'm saying is…" Actually, what _was _she saying? He wasn't good at being a kidnapper, because that would mean she was comparing him to others. In actuality, Erik wasn't like the others. She'd be dead if he were. "What I'm saying is, you're different. I'm not afraid to explain what I mean now, either, because I have a feeling you won't change."

Erik glanced at her once. "You have my full attention."

"You aren't the normal kidnapper. A normal kidnapper would kill his victim. And then, he would dump the body in some place like a river or some deserted woods or something. And then, police would find the victim and trace the body back to the kidnapper. Then, the kidnapper would be arrested and sentenced to life in prison."

Erik frowned. "You have been watching too much television."

"Well, that's the way this sort of thing normally goes, right?"

"You're not putting something into perspective, Christine." He sighed feeling like it should be completely obvious by now. "You shouldn't compare me to them. I'm different, as you said. But, _how_ am I different, you may ask? Well, I am different because I love you. It's not a psychotic, unstable sort of love. It's something you never have to question, yet you always do." Erik paused before acknowledging, "Even then, when you said you were sure I wouldn't change, deep down you were unsure if I would turn into the monster my face suggests that I am."

Christine's brow furrowed, but she couldn't really deny it.

"Actually, Christine, I am the one who should be unsure, and I am. I am unsure now. You have claimed to hate me time and time again, but after today's events, I question that. Your words and actions have given me hope, but it is wavering, which makes me very uncomfortable. At least I have never given you reason to be as unsure as I am."

His tone might not have been accusing, but what he said was. "You make it sound like I'm the bad guy."

"You wouldn't feel that way if you didn't think the roles were reversed."

Christine crossed her arms. "You're impossible to talk to."

"I wish that wasn't the case," he whispered. "If you could talk to me as you would a friend, I feel things would be different."

"A 'friend'?"

"For starters, yes," he replied, a small smile on his face.

"Friends don't do what you did."

"True."

Christine wasn't expecting him to agree with her, but she had a feeling he wasn't finished.

"We do not act like friends… Friends do not kiss."

Her cheeks reddened at the remembrance, though she slightly wondered if it was from anger or if she was blushing.

Erik realized something then. "Perhaps you _are _as unsure as I am. Only, your confusion is towards yourself. But, it is about both of us. It is about your whole situation." His voice was becoming more excited by the second. "First, you thought you hated being with me. The kidnapping, the wedding.. you thought you despised me. When you hit me with the pan, however, your thoughts changed. I was unconscious, and you realized you couldn't hate me. It has gone a step further, though. The ring, your words, and the kiss have caused your feelings to change completely."

She couldn't take hearing anymore, so whatever else he said was tuned out. Only the horror of his statement remained. _Is what he said true? It couldn't be.. But, then, why am I questioning it? He sounds so sure of himself. What if he's right? He always has been so smart about things.. _

"We're here," Erik announced, no longer excited.

Christine sat up straight and looked out at what appeared to be a post office parking lot. Yes, they had indeed made it to one.

In Christine's mind, though, the letter was no longer important. It wasn't enough.

_If he's right, if my feelings for him have changed… _She couldn't handle it. The 'I don't know''s, the 'what if''s, they were too much. Christine wasn't ready for this. She could never be ready.

_Mom.. Dad.. _What if they were to never get the letter? And what good would a mere paragraph be, anyway?

Relying on the letter she'd written to change things was stupid. _I'm the only one who can change things, but the longer I stay here listening to him, the less likely it is that I'll be able to. _

A small plan formed in her mind, and Christine took action without hesitation.

When Erik rolled down his window and made to put the addressed envelope in the post office delivery box, she unbuckled her seat belt, opened the car door, and fled from the vehicle.

She didn't hear the gasp from behind her.

Christine ran faster than she ever had. She was running through some sort of deep wooded area. Immediately, she knew that if she ever got out, her arms and face were going to be a bloody mess.

_Wow, I'm actually doing well, _came her first encouraging thought. It had definitely been a few minutes now, and still there was no Erik. Christine couldn't even hear any sign of him, though perhaps that was because of her rough breathing.

Either way, she could think about it all later, once she was home and in the safety of her bedroom.

_Good thing I like to run, _was her next positive thought.

But, the memory of _who _had first encouraged her to start running hit her. Erik had said it would help with breath support while singing, and she'd followed his advice by running around the neighborhood every afternoon without fail.

It had been while running that he'd kidnapped her.

'_Do you honestly think you can outrun me?' _Erik had asked that when she tried to escape from him the first time. She knew the answer then and she was coming to know the answer now.

_Just because I can't outrun him doesn't mean I can't outsmart him, though! _Well, that was a stupid thought… _Nobody can outsmart Erik.. I wouldn't still here if they could. _

Another thought managed to make its way to the surface, yet it was more of a physical feeling than an actual thought. Her left thumb reached over and slightly turned the simple gold band on her left ring finger. The ring symbolized their marriage. It was there, and even if she took it off, what it represented would still remain.

_I'm Mrs. Destler now, and I'm running from my husband. _Her legs slowed down a little. _Nothing I do is going to change what has happened. _

To leave him would hurt him…

_Oh no, am I really considering his feelings? _

She was, she really was.

_Erik has done so much. He's given me voice lessons, he's kidnapped me, he's married me, he's kissed me… _Her lips tingled at the thought.

_And he's done it all out of love. He loves me, he truly does. _

Christine was barely aware of her body slowing down until she was standing perfectly still.

_I can't leave him._

It was in that moment that she realized something important. _I have given part of myself to him, whether it was voluntary or involuntary. And… Oh, God… Maybe it's true.. Maybe I do belong to him.._

Perhaps she wasn't thinking clearly, or perhaps she was brainwashed. Either way, Christine felt her body turn around. She took a few deep breaths as her mind resigned itself to the fact that she was here to stay. Her walk was slow and shaky as she headed back towards her kidnapper.

* * *

**Uhh.. Surprise? I must say, **_**I'm**_** surprised. I didn't really know I was going to write this until I sat down and wrote for hours. I'm a little shocked that the story has gone this direction. Perhaps I'm thinking too much, though.**

**I hope you approve, I really do. But, I understand if you don't. Maybe this is too sudden. Don't worry, though, it's not over yet. There's still a lot to get through, for Erik, for Christine, and for everyone looking for her.**

**I want to pause and take a moment to thank everyone who is reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting this story! Thank you so much! You all are my inspiration :)**

**Please review!**

**-Lauren**


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_Erik's POV_

I was sure my first emotion when I found her would be anger, anger that she had run from me, for I thought her feelings had changed. But, I was mistaken. Anger was not what I felt.

I was also wrong to think that _I _would find _her _because, to my surprise, _she _found _me_. My surprise increased even more so when I saw her. It was when I saw her that my first emotion emerged.

Fear. Indescribable fear.

What I saw what a bleeding, dirty, teary-eyed girl who appeared to have just lost everything.

Of course I would be terrified when that girl just so happened to be my wife.

It seemed my surprise was to continue to increase, because she didn't stop walking until she was directly in front of me, not even two feet away.

I looked down upon her with wide, scared eyes unsure of what to do. "Chr-"

I then abruptly stopped speaking, but not because of something she said. In fact, she didn't speak at all. Before I could say her name, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me. Her head became buried in the chest of my shirt. Christine was… hugging me.

IIIIIII

Although part of Christine felt uncomfortable about showing her emotions, the other part of her was past caring. After being so afraid, confused, and alone in the woods, what she needed now was reassurance. She wanted to know Erik wasn't upset with her for running away.

Plus, she felt strangely light-headed, as if perhaps this were all a dream.

_Just stop thinking, _her mind whispered.

So, she gave in. She hugged him.

Erik stood frozen as the embrace continued. Being someone who was usually in control and thought of everything, he was alarmed to find he hadn't been prepared for this. She was touching him freely, without having to be persuaded.

Perhaps it would be best for him not to do or say anything. Erik truly didn't want this moment to end.

They stayed like that for a while, neither making the first move to back away.

She was beginning to tremble, though. Perhaps due to the cool temperature? Or something else?

Well, whatever it was due to, Erik decided he probably needed to acknowledge it. "Christine?" he called softly. "Angel?"

His voice was like a warm blanket. "Hmmm?" she purred. Christine wasn't aware of what the problem was.

Erik's concern was building. His Christine definitely didn't look well, nor was she acting like her usual self. The situation made absolutely no sense, either. She obviously had wanted to get away from him, hence her running, but now she was back willingly and hugging him. Was she even in pain? _Her wounded state should not cause such a euphoric attitude. _

"Christine," he said again holding her gently by the shoulders at arms length. "Are you alright? Are you hurting?" He studied her with a furrowed brow.

Christine slowly looked from his intense eyes to his still hands. Then, rather abruptly, she frantically yelled, "Please don't be mad, Erik! I'm sorry! I don't know why I did it! I- I just think.. I think.." Taking a calming breath, she finished softly, "I should stop thinking so much."

He blinked and then blinked again. _Is this reality? _His eyes stayed focused on her flawless, desperate face. _My Christine apologized for hurting me. She has finally come to realize that her constant negative over-analyzing of each matter pertaining to us is meaningless. _She certainly looked like she was serious.

Christine chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds. "Are you mad at me?" she asked in a small voice.

Erik's insides seemed to melt. Her innocent actions were just so appealing. How could he be angry for even a second? "No," he whispered while looking at her like she was the only person on earth that mattered. "I'm not mad at you."

And they hugged again.

"Can we go back now?" Christine eventually asked, raising her head to look into his eyes.

Erik nodded and reluctantly backed away. "Yes, angel. I am sure you would like nothing more than a hot shower and fresh clothing. Come." He began leading her to the car, but a moment later she surprised him by reaching for his hand so that they could walk side by side. Together. Like a _real _married couple. He gazed at her and sighed feeling most content.

She was his now. They belonged to one another. Erik was happy and, for the first time, he felt like she was happy, too.

IIIIIII

Meg flipped the page of a book she was trying to read. It was an unsuccessful attempt, though. Worrying was the only thing she was good at anymore.

She wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until her best friend was found. Nobody would.

She felt her mother watching her from across the den they were sitting in, and she could sense the deep worry in her demeanor.

"Do you think we're going to find her?" Meg asked, placing her book to the side.

"There are a lot of people looking for her," her mother replied, trying to be reassuring. "I don't think anyone is going to give up."

Although she'd said it before, Meg explained again, "I had a feeling taking voice lessons from a guy in his house was wrong. I should have done something…"

Shaking her head, her mother pointed out, "Not even her chorus teachers, the ones who somewhat knew him, thought it was a bad idea, Meg. And Christine wasn't his only voice student. There was no reason to suspect anything."

"The mask," Meg contradicted. "I wish Christine had told somebody about it. I mean, being different makes you different, right? The guy had secrets. I know I wouldn't be able to trust him. But…" Tears came to her eyes. "Christine's always been that way- too trusting, so caring, never judgmental. And this time she made a mistake. She made a huge mistake."

Her mother crossed the room and hugged her tightly. "You have to stay strong, Meg. You've got to."

Meg nodded but continued to cry while thinking about the terrible things that monster could have done or could be doing to her friend.

IIIIIII

_One week later _

_She's been gone for thirteen days, and we aren't any closer to finding her, _John Daae thought while looking at a picture taken of his daughter on her 18th birthday.

Christine looked so happy, so innocent. Just the thought of Erik Destler taking that away from her caused John to grip the frame the picture had been in and throw it against the wall, the glass shattering.

Norah Daae, who was in the next room removing more pictures of Christine from frames in order to make copies of them for the case, didn't even flinch at the sudden sound.

Her husband could break every object in the house for all she cared. It wouldn't make a difference.

Finding Christine alive and well was all that mattered, but even dream of that being possible was beginning to waver.

IIIIIII

Christine awoke with a start and looked around expecting to see what had produced the terrible shattering sound that had occurred only a second ago.

All that was there was her neatly organized bedroom. Nothing was out of place.

"A dream," she whispered. They always seemed so real, though. She could have sworn she heard somebody break something fragile… "Just a dream," she repeated, forcing it out of her mind.

Crawling out of bed, she picked up a gorgeous silver watch Erik had given her two days before and read that it was 8:05am.

The intricate wedding ring Erik had put on her finger a week ago caught her eye as it always did. She smiled and touched it. Then, she went to her bathroom to get ready for the day.

She entered the kitchen thirty minutes later looking very refreshed. Her eyes found Erik, who was at the stove making an omelet.

"Good morning," Christine greeted brightly.

Erik looked at her and smiled, never having seen anything so beautiful. "Good morning, angel. You look lovely."

She blushed at the compliment. "Thank you."

"Are you hungry?" He already knew the answer.

Christine nodded and started to move towards him in order to help get breakfast on the table.

He chuckled. "Sit at the table, darling. I will take care of everything."

They ate breakfast together in peaceful silence, and towards the end, Erik asked Christine if she would like to have an after-breakfast voice lesson. She nodded eagerly, which was exactly what he expected.

The voice lesson took place in the music room, and both Erik and Christine put everything they had into it enjoying every minute.

After the lesson, Erik read to Christine in the library, and after that they took a stroll outside holding hands and simply enjoying their surroundings and each other's company.

Later in the day, after lunch and another voice lesson, Erik invited Christine to sit on a couch in the den. He instructed her to close her eyes so that he could give her a surprise gift.

Christine did so excitedly.

When Erik told her to open her eyes, she did and was greeted with a new dress. It was a gorgeous light green and obviously expensive. She rose from the couch and hugged her husband, thanking him sincerely.

Erik basked in their embrace whispering words of love and devotion in her ear.

They made dinner together, and after dinner they retired to the den where Christine fell asleep with her head on Erik's shoulder as he sang a gentle lullaby.

Much later, after singing several songs, Erik carried Christine to her bedroom and tucked her in. His eyes were soft as he gazed down at his beloved.

It was a perfect day.

Yesterday had been a perfect day, too.

So had the day before. And the day before that..

In fact, every day since their trip to the post office had been perfect.

There was more to it, though.

Every day since their trip to the post office had been the same. All of it had become routine- the meals, the lessons, the reading, the strolls outside, the gifts, the singing.. The only difference between each day was the surprise gift Erik gave her.

Christine seemed to be so happy and content. As if she wanted nothing more or less than what he was giving her. Erik didn't question her attitude… Neither did she. Things hadn't become repetitious to her, and for that Erik was glad. Perhaps he didn't quite understand her new behavior, but he was loving every second of it.

Erik felt she deserved all of this, after all. _She deserves a perfect life to match her own perfection. _

The happiness he saw, the love he felt, the music they created.. He would never grow tired of it.

And Christine appeared to be in the same state as he.

It was all he ever wanted.

* * *

**What's with Christine? You will find out soon enough ;)**

**In the meantime, please review! **

**Thank you to everyone who's reading, favoriting, alerting, and reviewing this story :) **

**-Lauren**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_Erik is so good to me. He takes care of me, he reads to me, he gives me wonderful gifts, and he sings me to sleep at night. I'm so lucky, which makes me wonder why I have nightmares. Life is great. It's a fairytale. So, why is it that I always wake up feeling scared and out of place?_

_Maybe it's nothing to worry about. I shouldn't overthink it. Everybody has bad dreams. They aren't so horrible, really. Seeing Erik always makes everything better. He makes me feel safe._

Christine closed her pretty purple journal and smiled as an idea came to her. _I know what will make the nightmares go away! _

She looked down at her watch. 3:10am. Would Erik still be awake? It seemed like he was a light sleeper just like she was tonight, so she hurried out of her room to find him.

Christine crossed the dark hall outside her bedroom, a strange feeling of nervousness spreading through her. _I shouldn't feel nervous in this house. It's pretty much mine, anyway. How silly._

Faint deep breathing coming from somewhere in the distance stopped her in her tracks. She turned to the right and stepped forward with her hands outstretched in case she were to bump into anything. It was just so dark.

Her hands came in contact with what felt like the wooden edge of an open doorway, so Christine continued walking.

The breathing was getting closer. She tiptoed through the room until her knees touched something hard. She reached down and her hands lightly patted soft fabric. _A bed. Erik's bed. He's…asleep. _

Although she couldn't see him, a small smile came to her face. _How sweet.. _

Suddenly, though, the silence was broken by a short gasp. "Christine?" Erik asked, alarm in his tone.

"Oh, umm, I," she stuttered. "I couldn't sleep."

She'd never been in his room before.. It was different, very different. Given the way the past glorious week had been, with each day exactly the same and no surprises, Erik found he wasn't fond of this difference. But, she looked and sounded the same, so perhaps there was nothing to be worried about.

He placed his hand on top of hers. "Oh no, angel, why? Is there a reason?" He hoped it was something minor. Her tone did sound the same as it had all week, but he couldn't let himself be completely sure of that.

"I have nightmares," she confessed feeling a little embarrassed.

Erik gulped wondering what they were about. _Remember, she would not be acting this way if her nightmares had anything to do with what she once hated me for. _"Whatever about, dear one?" he asked gently.

"Well, I'm not too sure. I just always wake up knowing I had a bad dream."

She looked like she was trying hard to remember, and quite frankly, Erik didn't want her to. "You're perfectly safe here, Christine. Try not to dwell on them. I would make your nightmares disappear if I could."

"You can," Christine said with an encouraging smile. "Maybe if I could sleep beside you…"

Erik felt his heart flutter. Her words were both shocking and wonderful. "You wish to sleep beside me?"

"If that's ok.."

"Oh, it's _more _than ok." He was overjoyed and unable to hide his elation. "Here angel, lay with me." He scooted over some, lightly pulling her hand with him until she was on the bed.

Christine didn't hesitate before resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

Erik simply lay in complete amazement. She'd changed so much. This Christine was sweet and kind, whereas the previous Christine had been anything but. "Is this better?" he finally asked softly. Receiving no response, he knew she was asleep.

He smiled and closed his eyes, resting his head against hers. He, too, would sleep peacefully now. _Perhaps there will be more nights like this… _

IIIIIII

Later in the morning, Christine awoke with a start, much like multiple times before.

Erik opened his eyes and sat up instantly. "Christine, what is it?"

She stayed quiet for a few seconds. Brief images from her dream came to her. A man and woman flashed through her mind. They were crying. And Christine recognized them.. "My parents…"

Tension swept through his body. Erik couldn't let it show, though. "What about them?"

Still remembering, Christine said, "They were in my dream.. They were crying because…" It came to her. It clicked. "They read my letter." Her eyes widened. _Oh.. my.. God.. _

The letter hadn't been mentioned in a week. Neither had her parents. Those things had been nonexistent for the past seven days.

Thinking more and more, Christine struggled not to cry, taking deep gasping breaths.

Erik watched her and knew the previous Christine was back. Where she'd been before, he had no idea. All he knew was that the peacefulness and joy they had shared was over.

Christine's eyes slowly turned to the left where Erik was. The past week continued to play through her mind. "What the-…" She remembered everything that happened, except it was all being viewed in a different light now.

This was horrible! He had to do something! "Christine, please don't be alarmed.."

She was just so confused. She remembered smiling, laughing, feeling content. And she'd placed Erik above all else. For a week, she'd been.. happy. Now they were sitting side by side in his bed. _I'm in his bed! Shit! _She felt her face flush. "Did you.. drug me or something?" That was the only logical explanation, right?

The very idea was repulsive. "No, of course not. Everything that occurred this past week included you as a willing participant."

Christine thought about it some more. What she remembered was repetition day in and day out. "We did the same exact thing every day," she murmured. Yet, she never grew tired of it? _What was I thinking? _

"And you were happy," Erik insisted. "Oh Christine, you have been so happy. I thought-"

"So, I felt all those things?" she interrupted.

Well, now he was curious. Erik studied her closely. "What did you feel?"

"I- I _cared _for you." It was shocking, but it was true. He was her world for a week. She shook her head, wishing the past weekhad been one of her nightmares. "Was I brainwashed?" There just _had_ to be an explanation.

"No, I didn't brainwash you. I took care of you the way a husband should take care of his wife."

"We did the same thing over and over again." It was sick!

"You loved it."

"I-…" She wanted to say she didn't, but she couldn't. However, what she felt she could say was, "I wasn't in my right mind. I was.. in some weird dream state or something."

"That's not true." Her words were breaking his heart.

"Why would I lie to you? After everything, what could I possibly gain by lying? You were happy this week, I get that, but you have to understand that I wasn't. It wasn't real for me."

"But, it _was _real! You made me believe that everything was perfect. We belong together, Christine. This past week proved it."

His insistence that he was right and she was wrong was really frustrating. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear the first time I said it, so I'll say it again- I don't belong to you, Erik. I'm not some lost little helpless girl who needs someone to protect her. I don't even know where you got that idea from. Aside from this past week, my feelings haven't swayed at all. You think I'm going to start liking this life at some point, but it's not going to happen." Christine sighed. "I only wish the way I acted hadn't made you think otherwise."

Reality suddenly came sweeping down upon Erik. The truth of the matter was, the past week could possibly occur again. The sweet and kind Christine could return. But, she would always go back. Her prior self would reawaken, and she would wish to leave him again.

_Must I bear that kind of pain and rejection time and time again? 'Can' I bear it? _"You've made up your mind, then?" he asked, his eyes searching hers for any sort of hope. "You believe you weren't yourself?"

Christine looked down at her hands, an odd feeling of heaviness building in her chest. She knew the only way to get through to him was to hurt him. "I _know _I wasn't myself."

Erik sat in silence mourning his loss. He'd lost her after having thought she finally felt as he felt, that they belonged to one another. Oh, how the truth hurt.

There was nothing left to say. Except, "Go to your room." He just needed to be alone.

When she left without a moment of hesitation, he looked over at the spot where she had been. _'Alone.' I will always be alone, whether she is here with me or not. She has proven numerous times that there is no hope for us. And I, being the fool that I am, have never wanted to believe her. But now, the thought of gaining her love for a while only to have it taken away by her own actions seems unbearable._

_I cannot live like that. It would end up being the death of me.. and her. _Erik couldn't imagine caring deeply for someone one minute and despising that same person the next. If only he thought she was lying.. but, it clearly wasn't possible. _Perhaps I was always meant to be alone. _

Thinking of Christine, he remembered that she had once been sweet, and kind, and herself. It was before the first time he told her he loved her. She'd been happy with her friends and family. And he'd taken her away from everything she loved. It was cruel, really.

She now felt alone, just as he did. Staying with him was destroying her soul.

_With me, she will always be angry, or sad, or agitated, or frustrated… None of which are good, healthy emotions. _

The solution was clear. If Erik wanted to make Christine happy again and if he wanted to avoid feeling the way he currently felt due to her returning to herself, then he should… let her go.

'_Let her go.' _Three simple words that could save one life and destroy another.

His fists clenched the bed sheets. _If I return her to the life she loves, there will be nothing left for me. My existence will be meaningless. _

_Though, there is one way to somewhat redeem myself… _He stood and went to his dresser. Opening a drawer, he found a small hand-held mirror. Erik picked it up and reluctantly looked at his reflection. The mask stared back. _What I did was wrong. To kidnap a person has no benefit. I realize that now. Who could ever love 'this'? No one. Happiness does not exist, nor do fairytales or happy endings. How blind I've been.. _

Erik put the mirror back in the drawer and closed it. _There is only one real way to fix what I've done. I have to take her back and turn myself into the police. I must pay for my crimes. _

It was decided, just like that. There would be no going back now.

Feeling more alone than ever, Erik stood still for a few moments to think of a plan before slowly leaving his bedroom and heading towards Christine's.

* * *

**Quick update.**

**Please review!**

**-Lauren**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Erik stared blankly at Christine's closed bedroom door. This was it. This was the end. As soon as he opened her door and explained his plan to take her back, they would leave. Neither of them would ever return.

He knew she would be elated. She was going back to her old life. Her family would welcome her with open arms and everything would return to normal.

For him, though, it would be a different story. Erik hoped prison was excruciating, for he deserved the ultimate punishment for committing such a crime.

_Enough. It is time, _he thought, blinking and attempting to take a controlled breath. There would be plenty of time to think later, once he was behind bars.

Christine looked highly annoyed when he opened the door. "What now?" she asked, her tone verifying her mood.

_She hates me. How could I have ever thought otherwise? _After a moment of looking at her, Erik inwardly decided it was too painful to make eye contact. His eyes focused on the floor beside her. "I'm taking you back now."

Sensing her complete confusion, he elaborated, "You're going home. I've kept you here long enough."

"_What?_" Christine studied him, trying to comprehend the news. "We're going back?" He nodded once and her heart began to pound. "H- how can I believe that?" After all of this, he was taking her back home? No, it wasn't possible. This was another one of his tricks. He couldn't have made a decision like that in such a short amount of time.

"I've never lied to you." He looked at his watch trying to be as distant and business-like as possible. "If we leave now, we can be in Alabama by noon." It was so difficult to speak without feeling in front of her. _You are my world… _Unable to stand there any longer, Erik turned and walked away with tears in his eyes.

Christine could only stare after him in a frozen position. _Is this seriously happening? It's true, he's never lied to me before. But, what on earth has changed his mind? _

This was all so sudden that she didn't know whether to be overjoyed or highly suspicious. _I guess I'll.. follow him? _

Christine's eyes moved about her room. _Will I be seeing this place again? _The thought of going home and being in her own bedroom made a small smile come to her face. _And I'll see my parents again… Whoa. _It seemed like a lifetime since she'd had contact with anyone besides Erik.

_Don't get too excited. He could be toying with you. _She walked slowly out the room and followed Erik who was now downstairs.

"Are you ready?" he asked when she was standing near him by the front door.

"…Yeah," she replied, but it almost sounded like a question.

Trying not to feel anything, Erik opened the door and they walked to his car.

Christine remembered the last time they'd gotten in his car. _We went to the post office. _A week ago, the thought of going home seemed like a lost cause. A letter was as good as it was going to get, or so she had thought. She listened as he started the ignition and watched as he put the car in reverse to back out of the driveway. Then, she looked out the car window and waited.

They drove and drove, neither saying a word. Christine was a little mesmerized by all of her surroundings. Plus, she didn't want to risk him changing his mind if she were to say the wrong thing.

Erik just didn't _want _to converse with her. This was hard enough as it was. To hear Christine's angelic voice would only make taking her back more difficult. He'd never intended to let her go, after all. His mind had been made up. Usually, when his mind was made up nothing could sway it.

Christine belonged to him, or that's what he'd thought before. It took her finally coming to care for him and then her coming out of it and taking back her feelings to show him that she would never _want _to be with him.

Hours were passing and they were just sitting there. No matter how business-like and unfeeling he was trying to be, Erik couldn't simply _not_ care. _Things are going to be left feeling unfinished, _he knew.

_Perhaps I should apologize… _He realized saying sorry wasn't nearly enough, but it was a start. Christine deserved to hear him say it.

"I am sorry, Christine." His voice was soft.

She hadn't expected him to speak, much less say _that. _After over four hours of wondering if this was really happening, he'd finally said the one thing that could take away some of her doubt.

"I never meant to hurt you," he continued. "I now realize that I hurt you deeply. I am.. so sorry." He sighed. "You were right all along. I made a mess of everything when-…" It was hard to say the words, but Erik forced them out. "When I told you that I love you. I shouldn't have said it. We could still be having normal after-school voice lessons… If only I had kept my feelings to myself."

Christine nodded silently. Surprisingly enough, she missed those days.

"I don't expect your forgiveness. I just.. wanted you to know how sorry I am."

Everything was quiet again. Christine stopped looking out the car window and instead looked down at her hands feeling slightly numb from it all. She didn't know what to think. Really, she didn't want to think about it at all. _I wish we could just get there already. _

But, Christine knew for a fact that she was going to have to think about what happened to her for a _very _long time. She was kidnapped for God's sake. The thought of telling everyone everything was exhausting. Over and over again, she would have to tell her story.

But… A question came to her then.

"What's going to happen to you?"

Her voice was such a blessing! Oh, how it hurt… He'd actually wondered if and when she was going to ask him that. "Well, I expect I will be arrested once I walk you inside the police department."

Christine gasped. He was going to turn himself in?

Erik decided not to ask her what she was thinking. He had to stay detached.

It seemed unreal. It all seemed so unreal. For Erik to take her back was one thing, but for him to willingly turn himself into the police was something else. Where was this coming from? Christine wanted to ask, she really did. But, at the same time, she was still weary of saying the wrong thing.

They passed a green sign that read 20 miles to Montgomery, Alabama.

_This is happening! It's really going to happen! _She sat up straighter becoming more nervous.

"You can finally be happy," Erik murmured softly. "I'm glad…" Perhaps it wasn't the best idea for him to keep speaking, but he couldn't help it. These were the last words he would ever say to her. He had to leave some sort of impression, although he knew he shouldn't want to.

Christine didn't say anything. It seemed pointless to respond.

He noticed that she looked nervous. _Why? _"You won't have to worry now. All you have to do is testify against me, and I will be out of your life forever."

She hadn't thought about that yet. _I will have to tell my story in court. _Again, it all seemed so unreal.

Erik had a feeling she didn't want to think about that right now. "We're nearly there," he pointed out, changing subjects.

Christine nodded. She was well aware of where they were. It seemed like a dream seeing all of these familiar surroundings again. Thinking about it led to thinking about everything else, though. She wasn't ready for that yet.

Before she knew it, they were in front of the Montgomery Police Department. Christine looked over at Erik, unconsciously waiting to be told what to do.

His sad eyes met with hers and the world seemed to stop moving. There she was, his Christine, looking at him with scared, questioning eyes. Before, he would have used that look to his advantage, but now he had to do what was right. "Shall we?" he asked after parking the car.

They got out and walked into the building together, both staying completely silent. Their walk ended when they reached a very crowded investigation room.

Every eye moved towards them in an instant, and then gasps could be heard. Realization could be seen and heard everywhere.

Then, thing moved quickly. Christine was approached by a number of shocked faces, and Erik was physically restrained by cops.

Christine could barely breathe due to the commotion, but something inside told her to look at the even more chaotic scene behind her.

Erik was on the floor with strong men holding him in place. But, he wasn't resisting at all.

Her eyes met his, and in that brief moment Christine saw very human emotions there. He was a man in love. He was also in pain, though. He was helpless. _She _was all he cared about. Everything he did, he did for he. Memories sped through her mind…

"Stop!" Christine suddenly screamed, moving away from the people protecting her and towards Erik. "Let him go!"

Then, everyone fell silent.

* * *

**I'm very sorry for the lack of updates. I've been very busy with my job.**

**I hope this chapter was enjoyable. I'm a little surprised with the outcome. **

**There will be more soon! Thank you for the reviews. You all are amazing!**

**Please review!**

**-Lauren**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Let him go!"

The words seemed to echo in the sudden silence. No one was moving, not even the men restraining Erik.

Christine froze, the reality of the moment setting in. Her heart seemed to be hammering in her ear drums. _What did I just do? _She blinked and looked at Erik, who was looking at her in apparent shock.

_I tried to save him. I told those men to stop. What was I thinking? _

Everyone began talking, yelling, and moving again. Christine felt her still body being led away from the scene. She didn't try resisting. Nothing was making sense, so she couldn't help but let other people take control.

As the cops brought Erik off the floor to a standing restraint, Christine felt herself being turned away, as if it was too terrible or traumatizing to watch.

Then, she was practically pushed into a chair surrounded by people, all of whom were speaking to her at once.

She blinked, trying to regain hearing. Something one person said caught her attention. "Your parents are on their way."

Christine just nodded.

"Are you hurting anywhere?" another person asked.

She shook her head.

Another asked, "Are you thirsty?"

"I- I- I don't… know." Christine was just so confused. This didn't seem real.

Everyone seemed to back off after hearing the tone of her voice. "Your parents will be here soon," someone said. No one asked her another question after that.

_Maybe they think I'm crazy.. I tried to help Erik and I'm acting so out of it. Maybe I _am _crazy. _

Christine kept to herself until, about ten minutes later, her parents were rushing towards her.

They threw their arms around her, both of them crying and kissing her head. They were both talking at once, making it hard to understand what either of them were saying.

All Christine knew was that she was extremely glad to see them again, to smell them, to hear them. She was crying too.

They backed away a little after a few minutes. "Are you ok?" John asked urgently, his voice shaky.

"Yeah, I'm ok," she replied softly. _Am I really, though? _Her actions were beginning to make her doubt it was true.

"I- I can't _believe _this," Norah said, shaking her head with tears in her eyes. "Christine, baby, my God… how do you feel?"

Christine could be honest with them. They were her parents, after all. She rubbed some tears away. "C- confused mostly…" One thing she knew she couldn't say, though, was that she'd tried to save her kidnapper. They were undoubtedly going to find out, of course. Then, she'd probably be sent to a mental institution or something.

"Of course you feel confused," her mom said, hugging her again.

Her father squeezed her hand once before turning and whispering with one of the people who had witnessed Christine's actions. He was soon to find out what she'd done.

Christine tried to mainly focus on her mom who was still staring at her.

"I- I don't even know where to begin," Norah said. "I'm just-.. _so_ glad you're back." She couldn't help but hug her again.

"It's _really _good to see you," Christine whispered.

"Do you want me to call Robert? Meg?" She started scurrying for her purse, which had fallen off.

Christine stopped her. "No, n- not yet. This is really a lot to take in." Her mother nodded, still frazzled.

That was when her father turned back around. He knelt to the ground in front of Christine. "Christine, honey, are you _sure _you're ok? D- did he hurt you?"

It was the first time 'he', as in 'Erik', had been mentioned. _Yeah, he knows. _"I'm not hurt," she replied. "I just.. Where is he?" She knew that was something her parents didn't want her to ask, but she had to know. For some reason, it was important.

Her father looked at her seriously. "You have _nothing _to worry about now, Christine. He's in jail. He's locked away."

_I'm not worried. Not for myself at least, _Christine realized. _What's the matter with me? _Now her mother was talking to the people behind them. She was sure to receive the same news her father had.

This was really exhausting. _I need time to myself. _"I- I'm tired," she told her dad.

"I know you are," her dad said, hugging her. There was a new sort of concern in his eyes.

"Can we go home?" _Please… _

Someone who was listening in on their conversation cut in then. "We have some questions to ask you, Christine. May I begin now? The sooner I begin, the sooner you can go home."

That sounded reasonable. "Ok."

And so the questions began. But, it was the very first one that made Christine freeze.

"Erik Destler took you against your will?"

After a few moments of silence, the woman asked, "Christine?"

"There's… more to it than that," Christine finally said. _What do I mean by that? He drugged me. Of course it was against my will. Why am I standing up for him? _

"Can you elaborate on that?"

"A lot happened…" Christine hesitated, unconsciously playing with her hands. "He never hurt me, not physically."

"Verbally? Emotionally?"

"Emotionally, yeah. But, he was nice to me. H- he cared for me. Everything he did, he did because he loved me."

"Do you believe that you were kidnapped?"

Her brow furrowed. "If I say yes, what's going to happen to him?" That was a valid question.

"He'll be tried for his crime. You'll testify. He'll be placed in federal prison."

"And if I say no?"

The woman paused, probably wondering why in the world she was asking such questions. "Well, you will most likely be psychologically evaluated. It will be a long, drawn out process." She moved in a little closer. "Christine, this can all be very easy for you if you tell the truth, if you tell us exactly what he did to you."

It was coming together in Christine's mind now. _I can't let this happen. I- I can't. I might have thought he deserved full punishment for what he did, but I don't think that anymore. He's changed. I've changed. _"He didn't kidnap me. I went with him willingly."

There. The lie was out.

Anyone who was listening, including her parents, froze.

The woman asking the questions stared at the girl before her, studying her. "I suppose.. I have nothing further to say, then." Everyone was staring.

Christine, in a sort of dazed state, asked, "Can I go home now?"

The woman nodded slowly, obviously very suspicious.

Standing, Christine approached her nearby parents. They looked scared, but she couldn't care at the moment. What she needed was time to herself. "Can we go now?"

Worried more than ever before, her parents nodded. "Y- you need sleep," her father stated worriedly. He would never accept his daughter's answer that Erik Destler hadn't taken her against her will. The man had undoubtedly brainwashed his sweet child. David wasn't going to stop until Christine was well and 'he' was behind bars forever.

The drive home was quiet. Norah sat beside Christine, and Christine rested her head against her shoulder. Every so often, her mother would stroke her hair.

_I told that lady that Erik didn't kidnap me… Oh God, what am I doing? What am I thinking? What happens now? _Christine wanted to sleep, but she knew there was too much on her mind for that. A psychological evaluation?.. She truly didn't know how she'd be able to get through that. A psychologist would most likely see right through her…

And what about Roy? He was her boyfriend. Or had been? Or still was? Everything was different now. Christine didn't even feel like the same person as before. For better or worse, Erik had changed her.

The car stopped. They were home. She hadn't seen home in what felt like forever. It hadn't technically changed at all, but emotionally it was very different.

Her parents walked with her inside and to her room. It felt different too. Everything did…

Seeming to notice her need for alone time, her parents hugged her tightly and reassured her that they were right outside before leaving the room.

When Christine was sure she was alone, she practically threw herself on her bed. Then, she cried. All of the differences, all of the confusion… It was too much to take in.

And currently, she was too weak and tired to think about it.

At some point, she cried herself to sleep. It was a relief to escape, at least for a little while.

* * *

When she awoke, she immediately knew that her parents had been in to check on her at least once. The evidence was that there was a blanket over her, her shoes were off, and her light was turned out.

Christine didn't get up. She didn't want her parents to know she was awake yet. Now was a good time to think.

First, she tried to come up with what she was currently feeling. Ok, there was still confusion. A lot of it. _I have to sort through this. _

There was obviously a reason she'd tried to save Erik. There was a reason she'd chosen to say he hadn't kidnapped her. Her mind was trying to shy away from giving an answer, though. But, she couldn't put this off any longer. _The entire thing had a huge effect on me. _There. That was a start.

_At first, I thought it was bad. He'd kidnapped me, he'd forced me to marry him, and the way he'd talked irritated me to no end. _Yes, she vividly recalled feeling like she hated him.

But, through it all, she'd gotten to know him in a weird sort of way. Asking him questions and listening to his answers had been hard, but after a while Erik had started making sense. Everything he did, he did for her. His love ran deep, deeper than she could ever imagine.

He'd let her go. He'd seen reason. He'd changed, perhaps with her help, but it really seemed like he'd had his own awakening.

_Erik means something to me. He's… important. _It sounded crazy. It felt that way too. Christine couldn't deny it any longer. She had feelings for her kidnapper. But, there was a reason she'd said she wasn't kidnapped. It was because, over time, she'd truly begun to believe it.

Christine even remembered times she _enjoyed _being with Erik. Perhaps it was hard to believe that due to her tendency to raise her voice at him, but then… that's just the way they were together. She always had to make him see things in a different light. She felt it was her job, and truth be told, she kind of liked it.

_That's sick, isn't it? To actually like yelling at him.. That's just weird and totally illogical. My thoughts are so messed up, aren't they? Anyone else would think so. Mom, Dad, some psychologist.. They'd all think I'm crazy, or brainwashed, or something. _

But, acknowledging the possibility of being brainwashed meant that she wasn't, right? If Christine knew she wasn't, then she wasn't. If she were, she wouldn't be thinking so clearly, would she?

_I'm in my right mind. I'm just not thinking what others would like me to be thinking. I realize that. Hmm… _

Christine sat up and looked around. All of the items here had been in her bedroom at Erik's house were in her bedroom here, too… Was it strange that she felt a sense of peace knowing that? It was almost like she was still there.

_What am I thinking? I'd much rather be here than there, right? _Why was it that when she was there, at Erik's, she'd wished she'd been here, at home? And when she was here, at home, she wished she was there, at Erik's? Nothing made sense!

Erik was in jail, she was with her family again, and nothing was going to change that.

_Except, there's hope. I said he didn't kidnap me. That means he could go free as long as I hold it together. That's why I have to sort through these feelings. I have to stop considering what others would think and focus on myself. Before it's too late, I need to have some sort of awakening of my own…_

* * *

**I'm so sorry for the long wait. A lot has been going on in my life. I am engaged! I just moved, too. Plus, I'm looking for a new job since I had to quit my other one in order to move.**

**Anyway, I'm not sure about this chapter. Big things are happening. I hope you liked it.**

**Please review!**

**-Lauren  
**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_Erik's POV_

The darkness of prison does not compare to the darkness I feel. I do not display emotions here, though. I am cold. And, though I loathe myself for acknowledging it, I am also lonely. I am incredibly lonely.

Without Christine, I am nothing. Although I knew I was happier than I'd ever been when she and I were together, I know I did not realize the full extent of my happiness. She brought about such a sense of peace... I miss her terribly, and I loathe myself for that, as well.

However, I loathe myself most for kidnapping her. If only I had never asked for her hand in marriage... It was a foolish, impulsive act. When it happened, I should have handled her rejection properly. I should have left her alone. Instead, I committed the ultimate crime. I can never forgive myself for it.

All of this I explained during my questioning. Earlier today, I was placed in a room with a criminal investigator. There, I thoroughly explained everything that transpired between me and Christine leaving nothing out.

I now await trial, where I will be sentenced.

In the meantime, as I sit on the cot in my prison cell, I continue to ponder over the one thing that continues to confuse me- why Christine tried to help me at the police station. Why would she attempt to come between me and authorities? The only conclusion I can come to is that she was tired and somewhat delusional.

To even have an ounce of hope that she might have done it because she truly wanted to is out of the question. After everything, one thing is obvious and that is her hatred towards me.

Whatever it was that possessed her to try to help me, I can only hope she is feeling better now. I am sure she is. To go home was all she ever wanted...

* * *

_Christine's POV_

I am sick. I am really sick. Well, at least I _think_ I am, or rather_, hope _I am. Here's why... I feel like I'm in love with the man who kidnapped me.

I had that awakening I was hoping for. But now I wish I hadn't. I can't be in love with him. After everything he did, after all the times I knew I hated him, and after he finally let me go, my 'awakening' should be the complete opposite. I should hate him with every fiber of my being.

He drugged me, he kidnapped me, he forced me to marry him, he kept me locked up for weeks, and he acted like a psychopath a lot of the time.

But, as my mind ponders over the bad, it also can't help but remember... It wasn't always like that. There were good times, especially later on. That week, that one week when I was blissfully happy and perfectly content. At the time I thought he had brainwashed me. I was scared to believe that I could be happy with him. However, I have come to believe that that was the real me. I really was happy simply being around him and enjoying our daily routine..

Erik. He's the most intense man I've ever known. He's a true genius with musical talents that are unreal. Musical talents... Truth be told, I loved our lessons. Every single one of them. And I miss them.

I miss _him_. I wish.. I just wish we could go back and change some things. I wish he hadn't kidnapped me. We wouldn't be in the mess we're in right now if only he could have restrained himself.

What am I going to do? I've said he didn't kidnap me, but he's probably told authorities otherwise. Most likely, Erik has been questioned and has told the truth. So.. How exactly do I get him out of this?

I really do love him, don't I? He's all I think about. I just want him happy. Too bad I didn't realize this when he asked me to marry him during that voice lesson, which feels like so long ago.

I feel like I've really changed. I'm not the innocent, sheltered high school girl I was before this. I feel like I've become an adult.

Nobody else is going to think so. Not Mom, not Dad, not Meg or Robert. Maybe not even Erik... What if he doesn't believe me when I tell him that I love him? He really doesn't have any reason to believe that what I feel is real. After all the times I've gotten mad at him, he probably thinks I hate him. And my trying to stop the cops from restraining him has most likely confused him terribly.

I wish there were a way to talk to him... If I could talk to him privately, then maybe I could make him believe me. Then maybe I could _really _save him.

* * *

**Not a long chapter, but I feel like this is the real changing point. It took me a while to decide to leave this chapter so short. A part of me felt like adding more would make it better, but in the end I decided this length would create more of an impact. Big things are about to happen. **

**I'm sorry it's taking so long for updates… If any of you are still reading this story, please know that I really do apologize.**

**I will work harder to update my stories sooner.**

**In the meantime, please leave a review.**

**Thank you,**

**Lauren **


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Christine walked towards the living room of her house looking around silently. It didn't really _feel _like her house anymore. It felt like 'her parents' house' that she was merely visiting. _So strange, _her mind kept saying. Everything just felt so strange, from being back in this house and not feeling like it was her own to loving Erik and wanting to do anything in her power to save him.

First, however, she had to talk to her parents. They deserved to know what was going on. After everything the two of them had been through during her absense, they deserved to know what was going through her head. It was going to be incredibly difficult to talk to them. They would never understand, not in a million years.

Her mind was reeling as she tried to think of what to say... There was also the whole 'what happens after this?' question_,_ but she had to take things one step at a time.

_First thing's first..._

She entered the living room where her parents were sitting together on the couch. Neither of them were speaking, but they were sitting side by side holding each other with their eyes closed, probably basking in the fact that their daughter was back. Christine truly couldn't imagine what they must have gone through.

A second after she walked inside, her parents both opened their eyes and stood.

"Christine," her father nearly cried, obviously startled.

"Are you okay," her mother asked urgently.

"I'm fine," she reassured. She gestured towards the couch. "Sit back down. Really, I'm fine."

They did so hesitantly and proceeded to sit on the edge of the couch, their full attention on her.

"Do you want anything," Norah asked. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

She shook her head. "No, not right now." All she wanted was to explain things to them. "Can we.. talk?" The entire situation felt so awkward.

"Of course," John replied instantly.

"I want to talk about what happened," Christine began calmly. She had to choose her words carefully. "This isn't going to be easy, but you both need to know some things." They were listening to every word she said. "Well.. You heard what I told that lady at the station. I told her that Erik didn't kidnap me. I'm sure you guys were shocked to hear me say that."

Their eager, questioning expressions said it all.

"The day I left, everything was crazy. I woke up and went to school, as always, but my voice lesson that day was.. weird. It was all normal at first. We sang and all. But it was when I was writing my check to pay Erik that he did something beyond surprising. He asked me to marry him."

Christine saw her mother's face pale and her father's jaw tighten. "I wasn't prepared for a question like that. I pretty much ran out of his house, and I didn't intend to ever go back. I mean, I had a boyfriend. I'm in high school. He'd never expressed any sort of feelings that would suggest he wanted that. It was all wrong."

Of course Christine knew what had happened next, how Erik had drugged her and taken her against her will, but if any of this were to go her way at all, she needed to lie. Maybe she would go to hell for it, but there was no other way. "I went on my jog when I got here, as usual. And while I was jogging I had time to think. It was like _his_ question made _me_ question. I'd been seeing him one-on-one for voice lessons for a year. I wondered, how was it that I'd never questioned my feelings for him? Erik had taught me so much in that year. We had voice lessons, yes, but we also had time to talk and share things with one another.

"It was while I was thinking about him during my jog that he drove by." Now it was time to dive deeper into the lie. "He parked his car and got out so that we could talk. It didn't take long for me to see that I had feelings for him. I had very strong feelings for him. I- I panicked. I knew nobody would understand. I thought everybody would be mad, especially Robert. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to hurt anybody. So, next thing I knew, Erik asked me to go for a drive with him and I went"

"Wait," John cut in. "W- what are you saying? Christine, you actually drove away with him willingly? You didn't try to contact us, even though you obviously had the chance? And you let us worry ourselves sick for weeks? Without calling, or texting, or anything?"

"How could you do that," Norah whispered with tears in her eyes.

Please, tell us you're not serious," John begged.

Christine looked down at her hands in her lap. This was definitely harder than she'd even thought it would be. "I wish I could.. I wish there were some way to make this all better. I- I wasn't thinking. Everything moved so quickly. One day passed, and then another and another... We got married. I knew I couldn't face you after that. You wouldn't understand.."

Norah was now crying and John was shaking his head.

"Eventually, though, I knew we had to face reality. Maybe Erik wasn't running away from anyone or anything, but I was. It all caught up to me. I'd left everything to be with him... Again, I panicked. I wondered if I was in my right mind. I wondered what the heck I was thinking. I freaked out. And I did it all in front of Erik. I was in such a crazy state that he did the only thing he could think of. He brought me back."

"So," Norah began with a hopeful tone. "You weren't in your right mind."

"He somehow brainwashed you," John added, just as hopefully.

"Well... if I wasn't in my right mind then, I'm not in my right mind now." Christine hated to do this, to discuss all of this with them and hurt them deeply in the process, but she didn't see any way around it. "It's very clear to me that I love Erik. I know neither of you can understand. You're disappointed, I see that. But I'm here now. I want to make things right."

Her mother could only stare at her while her father whispered, "None of this can ever be right."

There was a pause. Tears came to Christine's eyes as she realized how much of a burden she was taking on by lying. They were devastated. "I'm so sorry."

"You think we can't understand, but it's really you who can't," Norah said. "Christine, we thought you were _dead_. Can you even begin to imagine how we must have felt? And what about Robert? And Meg? You think _we're _upset? Just wait until you have to tell other people.."

"I know.."

"No, you don't know," John snapped. "Really, you don't know. We thought you were smart, but you obviously aren't. To have done this is unforgivable."

There was silence. Christine's head was spinning. She didn't want her parents to hate her. They were her _parents_... They'd been with her through everything in life. From birth until... the day she was kidnapped. They weren't involved during that. But she wanted them to be. Christine wanted them to know the truth and to help her. There was no way, though... Was there?

She looked at them. They were looking at her, studying her, wanting her to tell them the truth. What if-..? Could they-..? "Mom? Dad?" They didn't respond. "I... I'm lying."

They looked at her solemnly. "We know," her father said.

She sighed heavily. _I should have known.. _"Of course you do." They were her parents, after all, and they knew her almost better than anyone.. She only knew of one person who knew her better, and that was Erik. "He did kidnap me.. And I hated him with every fiber of my being for it, at first. But I got to know him. The longer he kept me there, the more I got to know how his mind worked. He's fascinating. He's a genius. And he loves me so much.." Before they could speak, she said, "But what I'm about to tell you isn't a lie. I'm in my right mind when I say that.. I love him. I lied to you because I love him. I don't want anything bad to happen to him. Please, can you help me?"

"Help you," Norah questioned, hoping against hope that her daughter didn't mean any of this.

"Yes. I need your help to save him."

"You can't honestly expect us to help save the man who kidnapped you," John uttered in disbelief. "He's a criminal, Christine."

"He's a monster," Norah added to stress the point.

"No, he's not," their daughter said softly, determination in her tone. "He's a man. He's a man who went to extreme measures to keep the woman he loves. After everything he's been through in his life, I couldn't expect him to have handled the situation differently. He didn't know how wrong he was until I taught him. He had to learn from his mistakes, and he did."

"Baby, you're wrong." Norah tried to be as gentle with her as possible.

"No, I'm not. You don't know him."

John had to step in. He had to make her see. "Christine, we can never forgive him for what he did to you. We can't forgive him for what he did to this entire community."

"But he's changed," she insisted desperately. "He brought me back. He saw that what he did was wrong. I love him, don't you see?"

"No, we don't. We can't."

Christine sensed the finality in their words. There wasn't a way to get through to them, which she'd already expected. She couldn't deny the fact that she'd really hoped they would see her side and agree to help. That obviously wasn't going to happen. Christine was beginning to realize something. She wasn't going to be able to save Erik, not alone. If she couldn't convince her parents, there was no way she could convince anyone else. Yes she would try. She'd do everything she could. But, in the end, Erik was going to have to help. He was going to have to prove himself in court.

She and Erik were going to have to work together. She didn't know how and she really didn't know where to begin in making this possible, but she had to try. Christine wasn't the meek, weak-minded little girl she once was. Being with Erik had taught her to be brave and to never give up. There were still plenty of obstacles that had yet to be dealt with, but she had to take it one step at a time. She got through being kidnapped, so surely she could get through this.

Only, Erik had no idea of her intentions. She thought talking to her parents was difficult? Well, this was going to be much more so.


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

There was no way her parents were going to change their minds about Erik, so after leaving them in the living room and returning to her bedroom, Christine sat thinking until the next step she should take became clear. _I need to talk to Erik._

She spent the next thirty minutes on her lap top looking up rules for contacting a person in prison. One of her questions- was she able to visit Erik? After scrolling through some websites on the Internet for answers, Christine found that prisoners had the right to make a detailed list of people they wanted as visitors, and that each person had to be approved by officials. Well, Erik putting her down as a visitor obviously wasn't going to happen... Christine knew for a fact that he was feeling too guilty to even think of wanting her as a visitor and that to do so would be completely inappropriate.

Next, she looked up the rules for calling a prisoner. The websites stated that a person couldn't call a prisoner directly but that they could contact the prison and have them give the prisoner a message to call them. Then, if the prisoner was willing, he could call that person.

_Bingo,_ Christine thought. That's how she was going to contact Erik. She hurriedly looked up the number to the prison he was in before getting offline. Then, she grabbed her cell phone and took a few calming breaths before dialing the number and placing the phone to her ear. She had to make this sound perfect.

A female voice answered after one ring and stated the name of the prison with a professional tone.

Attempting to sound just as professional, Christine began, "Hello, I was wondering if I could leave a message for one of the inmates there to call me. His name is Erik Destler."

There was a pause. "May I have your name and relationship to him?"

Christine inwardly panicked. She didn't think they would ask for that kind of information, although it shouldn't have come as a surprise. Of course they would want more than a phone number. Erik would want to know who was wanting to receive a call from him.

This woman would undoubtedly recognize her name when Christine told her, but could she really refuse to give him the message? _I guess we'll see..._ "My name is Christine Destler. I'm his wife."

There was another pause. The woman was probably startled. But what would she say? "What is your reason for wanting him to call you?"

"I want to hear how he's doing. He is my husband, after all." Christine was surprised by how bold she sounded.

"...Yes, alright. What is the number he can reach you at?"

Either the lady was forcing herself not to sound suspicious, or she really did accept her response. Whatever it was, Christine was going to go with it. She gave her her cell phone number.

"Very well. We will give him the message." They said brief goodbye's and that was it.

Ending the call, Christine could hardly believe how easy it had been. She only hoped the lady hadn't lied and that they really would give Erik the message. If they didn't, Christine wouldn't know what to do... She figured all she could do now was wait.

* * *

Erik could sense someone walking towards his cell before even seeing the person. It was undoubtedly one of the guards and, quite frankly, Erik couldn't care less. He continued lying on his cot with his eyes closed hoping whichever guard it was would leave him alone.

"You got a message," a male's harsh voice stated while tapping on the cell bars with the stick that always seemed to be attached to his hand. Erik immediately knew which guard it was- a man named Frank.

His words caused Erik to open his eyes, though he still didn't look at him. His eyes were focused on the ceiling. He didn't respond because one- he didn't care to, and two- the statement was confusing.

"You hear me?" Frank asked in frustration.

"Yes," Erik replied simply.

"Well, your wife called. Christine. Name ring a bell?" he asked with angry sarcasm.

He sat bolt upright then, completely stunned. He wasn't at all prepared to hear _that_. Christine's name repeated itself in his mind over and over again until he finally whispered, "What?" Erik knew he couldn't have heard right.

"She wants you to call her. You're allowed to make a ten minute phone call." Frank eyed the masked freak criminal before yelling, "Well? Do you want to call her or not? I don't have all day!"

Erik's eyes finally met his. He knew he'd heard right, but-.. why in the world would Christine want him to call her? Her reaction at the station had been plaguing his mind non-stop, and now this? What was she even thinking?

He had to know...

"Yes, I will call her."

Frank unlocked the cell door and waited for Erik to come out. Then, he led him through the building to where Erik assumed a telephone would be. When they got there, Frank handed him a sheet of paper with her number on it.

"Ten minutes," he said before walking to one side of the room. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall in order to oversee the phone call.

Erik's full attention was on what was to come as he dialed Christine's cell phone number with a shaky hand.

"Hello?" Christine abruptly answered after only half a ring.

Her voice was the most welcoming and exquisite sound Erik had heard since, well.. since the last time he'd heard her voice. "Christine?" he asked, his tone uncertain.

"Erik," she exclaimed.

He could hear relief and excitement in her voice, which made him nervous_. What have I done to her? I've_-.. Erik didn't have time to finish his thought because she began speaking again.

"Erik, I know you are really confused right now, but listen to me. I'm just going to say it. I love you. I love you, Erik. You have to believe me because we have to come up with a plan to get you out of this. I was wrong, I was all wrong. You were right, I could come to love you in time. It's happened."

Time stopped. Everything around him stopped. His heart stopped.

"Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but please just hurry and let it sink in. I know you only have a limited amount of time to talk, so we need to make a plan."

He couldn't find his voice. This was.. crazy. Insane. Erik knew what he'd done now. He'd brainwashed her. His kidnapping her had caused the unthinkable. He'd ruined her soul. It was enough to make tears come to his eyes. "Christine, oh Christine.. You're not thinking clearly. You don't know what you're saying. Please, stop this madness."

He sounded so weak. She sighed. "I had a feeling you'd think that I had Stockholme Syndrome or something. Erik," she said slowly. "I'm in my right mind. I've never been so sure of anything. I don't have near enough time to explain it all now, but when you're free and we're together again, I'll tell you everything."

"We're together agai-?.. This can't be happening-"

She cut him off. "Erik, you have to calm down and believe me. I need you to be focused, the way you usually are."

"One minute," Frank announced.

Christine heard him in the background. Her heart was pounding. "Are you with me? We have to work together on this."

Erik felt dizzy and helpless. "Wh- what do you mean?"

Their time was almost up and Erik had yet to even come to his senses, much less believe what she was saying. "Ok, listen to me. Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of this. You just have to do and agree with everything I say, whether you like it or not. I'll figure it all out. You just focus on this- I love you. Stay strong and remember that."

"Time's up." Frank walked over and hung up the phone.

Erik could only stand there, his hand still raised to his ear.

"Let's go. Now!"

Erik followed him in a trance-like state until he was back in his cell and the door was locked.

Then, the tears began. Erik sank to the floor weeping, unable to make sense of anything that had just happened.

* * *

Progress had not been made. Christine really had hoped he would understand. But no, he'd sounded shocked, nothing like his usual self. Even so, it was so, so good to hear his voice again.

However, his shock put things into perspective_. _She was going to have to take charge of this. It'd been a long time since she'd been in charge of anything. But now she had two lives to save, his and her own. There just _had_ to be a way.

_The Internet._ It'd already taught her a lot today. Christine was sure there had to be rules and laws she wasn't aware of that could help.

Because it didn't make sense that Erik should have to go to jail if Christine didn't want him to. It was her decision, no one else's. She needed to find proof of that.

Christine moved to her computer again to begin thinking and typing.

* * *

**Well, there's another chapter. I know I said that I'm not completely happy with the chapters I've written of this story, but come to think of it, I'm never fully happy with my work, am I? Haha. So I've decided, the story must go on :-)**

**I hope you all are ok with my decision. You are my inspiration! Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. And reviewers, you all are awesome!**

**Thank you! I will try to continue as soon as I can.**

**-Lauren**


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Christine had been so caught up in everything concerning Erik that she completely forgot about two important people who were practically dying to see her- Meg and Robert. She was sitting in her computer chair still trying to find answers on the Internet when she heard the door bell ring in the distance.

It was then that she remembered her best friend and her boyfriend. Christine had a feeling it was either one or both of them at the front door, and the thought of that made her heart sink in her chest. The Internet was put on pause.

_Oh no, Robert will never understand... How can I even begin to explain everything? This is going to be so difficult.. I don't want to hurt him, but I can't help my feelings. The past can't be undone or forgotten... He has the right to know. _

_And Meg.. _Well, there was actually some real hope there. Perhaps Meg could come to understand! She was her best friend, and best friends stuck together, right? Maybe she would help her!

There was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Christine, Robert and Meg are here," came her mother's voice. Norah opened the bedroom door and surveyed her daughter briefly before walking away.

There the two of them were, Meg holding a decorative vase filled with candy and Robert holding a bouquet of flowers. Christine stood noticing that there were tears in both their eyes.

In the next second, the distance was closed between them. Meg and Robert put what they were holding on the floor and raced towards Christine before throwing their arms around her, nearly knocking her over in their excitement. None of them said a word. Instead, they were all three crying and laughing and smiling, so happy to be reunited that words just wouldn't come.

Mere seconds ago, Christine had been nervous about seeing them again, afraid it would be tense and awkward. But now, while laughing and crying with the friends she at one time thought she'd never see again, it seemed like everything was right and that nothing had changed. There was such joy and comfort in their greeting that Christine felt her eyes close peacefully for a moment.

It was in that moment that she felt Robert's lips against hers. Christine's eyes flew open and she immediately backed away. She instantly remembered that everything had changed and nothing was right. There couldn't be joy or comfort, not when Robert and Meg had no idea what was going on.

"I'm so sorry," Robert gasped apologetically, inwardly berating himself. After all that Christine had been through, kissing her so abruptly was definitely the _last _thing he should have done.

Christine blinked, surprised to see that Robert didn't find her reaction odd at all. In fact, it looked like he felt horrible for what he'd done. Her eyes found Meg, who was silently studying her.

Not liking all of the attention, Christine averted her eyes and cleared her throat. "Hi, guys," she mumbled, shifting slightly. _I should have known the awkwardness would come.. _

Meg was the first to speak. "I- it's _really _good to see you, Christine."

Some tears came to Robert's eyes as he said, "It's hard to believe that I'm actually looking at you right now."

Thinking about her appearance for the first time since being home again, Christine blushed. "Sorry, I know I must look terrible.."

"You look _beautiful, _Christine," Robert told her softly while gazing at her.

Christine tried not to think about what his gaze meant. "Um, I'm guessing those are for me?" She attempted to keep her tone light as she looked at the gifts on the floor.

"Yeah, I got you all your favorite candy." Meg laughed while picking up a pack of Skittles on top. "We might have to share these," she joked. Christine laughed, too, and nodded.

Robert picked up the bouquet of pink tulips and handed it to Christine. "I got you your favorite flowers, tulips." He smiled hoping she had forgiven him for kissing her before.

Christine found herself thinking, _They're beautiful, but they aren't my favorite flower. _Red roses had become her favorite. They were Erik's favorite, and in time they had become hers as well. Blinking to force herself back to reality, she smiled and said, "Thanks, guys. It really means a lot to me that you would do this."

"We're just so glad you're home," Meg couldn't help but say.

"And safe," Robert continued. "I can't even begin to imagine what you must be going through.. What you went through."

Christine could hear nothing but hatred in those last four words. She didn't say anything.

"I could kill him for what he did to you," Robert whispered.

She couldn't just stand there and let him say such harsh things or think such malicious thoughts. "Robert, don't."

He realized he'd done the wrong thing again! He was more than a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry.. it's just, that guy-.. He-"

"He didn't do anything bad to me," Christine said firmly.

Robert's eyes focused on the wedding ring on his girlfriend's finger, which was proof that the monster had indeed done something bad to her. He had to force himself not to wonder why she was still wearing it. He looked up into her eyes again but didn't say anything.

Meg was simply standing to one side watching her best friend. She knew Christine would be different, but... Something wasn't right here. Things just weren't adding up.

Christine chewed on her bottom lip for a second. "Meg?" she finally addressed her friend. "Um, do you think you could go sit in the living room with my parents for a little bit? I need to talk to Robert."

"Oh." Meg wasn't expecting that. "Sure, yeah, of course."

"Don't leave, though, ok?" She watched her friend nod before leaving the room, closing the door on her way out.

When she was gone, Christine took a deep breath. Part of her wished she could have gotten some advice from Meg before she'd left the room...

But Christine was stronger than she used to be. She didn't need to cower behind Meg during rough times like she used to. She remembered when, not too long ago, she would always allow Meg to stand up to her high school enemy, Carlotta, for her. Really, it should have been Christine to stand up to her. Carlotta had always been jealous of her relationship with Robert and had bullied her because of it. Meg didn't even have anything to do with their feud, yet Christine had let her confront Carlotta and take the heat every time there was trouble.

Being with Erik had taught her that she couldn't rely on other people to fix her problems for her. He'd toughened her up, in a way. And although others would think it wrong of her, Christine was forever grateful to him.

Feeling stronger, she began, "I learned a lot when I was with Erik. Yes, he kidnapped me. Yes, he kept me locked up. But over time, I learned so much from him."

Robert sensed a sort of fondness in her tone and was highly confused by it. "Uh.. what all did you learn?" He didn't want to do anything else wrong, so he resisted voicing his assumptions of how bad and torture-filled the experience must have been for her.

"Well.. I learned how to listen, how to _really _listen, without judgment or insinuation. Erik told me and showed me so much. He has flaws, just like everyone else." She saw Robert's jaw clench at that but continued, "Over time I realized, in order to help myself, I had to help him. And I did, Robert. I helped him a lot, which in turn helped me. We both grew... together."

"Wh- what are you saying?" Robert couldn't believe what he was hearing. He dreaded hearing more, but he needed to know exactly how she was feeling in order to help her. That was his primary concern as her boyfriend, to help her in any way he could so that they could get back on track.

Christine looked into his eyes. "Robert, things changed while I was with Erik. At first I hated him, just like you do, but that changed. In the beginning it started becoming like a series of repetitive games, me trying to get him to let me go and him refusing. But each time the game ended, we would talk. I yelled at him a lot, oh yeah, but I also came to understand him. There was one time that I had a chance to escape... I hit him with a pan, which I thought killed him. I had the perfect opportunity, but.. I couldn't leave him... I just couldn't-"

"Because you're a good person," Robert insisted. In his mind, he had the answer to all of this. "You thought you killed him, and it affected you. From then on out, you felt so bad for what you almost did that you began to think that you might actually care for him. You felt like you _had _to care for him, or else the guilt would be too much." He could see her shaking her head calmly, wanting to tell him he was wrong, but he couldn't let her do that. "Christine, this isn't you. You're confused. Honey, please, that monster doesn't deserve your guilt, or pity, or-"

"I love him, Robert."

He felt like the breath had been stolen from his body.

"I thought the same as you at first, that it was my guilt that wouldn't let me leave. But I was wrong. Erik and I.., we're connected. We understand each other. It took a long time to look past my anger, but in time I actually started listening to him and understanding him. In his mind, to kidnap me was the only way. His entire life had taught him that he couldn't ever be happy with a person. But with me he was. During our voice lessons, he was happy, like he'd never been before. So he stole me away, just as his past had taught him to. But with my help, he eventually came to realize the crime he committed. And by helping him, I discovered feelings I'd never had before."

Robert shook his head sighing. "He brainwashed you. You might not think that that criminal hurt you, but the reason is because he molded your mind to his liking. And now you can't think for yourself."

She was so sick of everyone thinking she wasn't in her right mind! "Stop, Robert." Her tone was calmer than she felt. "You're wrong. He's not controlling me. He brought me back, he turned himself in. He doesn't _want _my love anymore, he told me so himself, and yet he can't change that I do love him. So, if I'm not thinking what he wants me to be thinking right now, then that means I'm thinking for myself."

Christine noticed that Robert looked like he was in physical pain. He was finally beginning to believe her, it was obvious.. She hated the look on his face, but she had to get the truth through to him. She had to finally be her own person.

"You're not going to let me help you, are you?" he asked.

Hating to hurt him but knowing there wasn't any way around it, she replied, "Robert, I'm sorry, but.. I don't need your help. I know what I need now."

"This is sick... I can't watch this. I- I have to go." Robert threw open Christine's bedroom door and rushed out, not stopping until he was in his car and driving away.

Standing still with her arms crossed, Christine looked down at the floor wishing that could have gone better. Of course his reaction was completely normal and probably the best she could have hoped for given the situation, but she also wondered, _Will life ever get any easier? _The answer was no. Not for a long time, at least. She loved Erik, and as long as she didn't receive any kind of support, it wasn't going to get any easier.

There was a soft knock on her open bedroom door. "Christine?" Meg asked hesitantly before stepping inside.

Christine looked up at Meg, the only person left who would either take her side or leave her. Tears unwillingly came to her eyes. Perhaps she was stronger than she used to be, but she wasn't invincible. Christine still had the ability to feel weakness and sadness.

"Meg, I-"

Before she could say more, her best friend did something that made Christine's eyes widen. She walked forward, hugged her, and said, "Don't worry, Christine, I'm sticking with you. Your parents told me some of what's going on. You're in love with your kidnapper? Well, I might not approve right now, but I want you to explain everything to me. After that, we'll decide what to do next." Meg picked up the same pack of Skittles as before and sat on Christine's bed. "Now, come sit next to me so that we can munch on these and have girl talk."

Feeling like she was in some sort of really good dream, Christine did as she was told and began telling Meg the whole story, no lies and every detail.

* * *

**Well, shocker, I actually submitted two chapters back to back for the same story in a fairly short period of time. I don't really remember doing something like this since the days of Pen a Pal haha.**

**I'm sorry there wasn't any Erik or E/C interaction in this chapter, but this part had to happen first. Now Robert knows and Meg's about to know. I hope this turned out ok..**

**Thank you so much to everyone who's supporting this story, whether it's by reading, alerting, favorite-ing, or reviewing, you all are incredible! All I can say is, please keep it up :-)**

**I will try to update soon!**

**-Lauren **


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Meg proceeded to let out a long sigh and stand from Christine's bed, taking in all of the new information she'd just received.

"I know it sounds insane," Christine began. She shook her head a little. "Everytime I say it -that I love him- I feel a little crazy-"

"Don't say that," Meg suddenly intervened. "Seriously, saying that you feel crazy in court won't release him. They would just send you to some mental ward and lock him up, probably for the rest of his life."

Blinking, Christine slowly asked, "So.. You don't think I'm crazy?"

Studying her friend, Meg replied, "I'm still debating that." But then she laughed some. "No, I don't think you're crazy. I mean, the story is a lot to take in, but I can see that you're in your right mind. So you fell in love with the guy who kidnapped you." She shrugged. "It sounds like he never really hurt you and that he does love you. He just made some bad decisions. Some _really _bad decisions. But you say that he didn't know any better. Who am I to judge? I'm just glad you're safe. And I'm also glad you're happy."

Christine was completely stunned by her words. All she could do was hug her best friend. "Thank you, Meg. Having your support is.. well, it's a little unbelievable. But then, you are my best friend. You know me better than most people. I'm just so glad you're ok with this."

Meg hugged her back. "As I said, who am I to make judgement?" She moved towards Christine's computer desk and grabbed a pad of paper and pen. "Now, we need to come up with what you're going to say in court. Your parents told the court date is set for Monday, so that means we only have a week to make this sound good."

"You're really going to help me?" Yet again, Christine was stunned.

"Of course I am. You're my best friend. Now let's get to it." Meg was all business. "I'll write, you talk."

There was some silence. "I.. don't know where to begin."

"Well that doesn't sound confident at all. Christine, you can't go in and say that in front of a jury!"

"No, no," she said with a laugh. "That's not what I mean. I mean, I really don't know where to begin. I don't know what to say or how to start."

"Oh." Meg thought about that and tried to envision what a prosecutor would ask when her friend took the stand. "Hmm.. Well, I'm sure they're going to want to know the story. So tell them what you just told me. You have to be honest."

"But Meg, my parents didn't even accept my story. If they can't even accept it, I highly doubt a court would."

"I accepted it," Meg pointed out. "And trust me, I wasn't a fan of Erik _at all_. Quite frankly, I wanted to kill him for what he did to you. But what you said has changed my mind. So maybe it would convince a jury, too. You have to try."

Christine tried to think positive, although it was difficult given the current circumstances. "Yeah, you're right. I do have to try. And really, how can they convict him when I, the victim, don't want to press charges? It wouldn't make sense."

"That's the way," Meg encouraged. "Keep that frame of mind and everything should be fine. In fact, I would include what you just said in your statement." She wrote it down and said, "Ok, let's continue."

It took about an hour to think of and write down Christine's statement. The girls were fairly confident with the finished product and concluded that what they needed now was rest and time to absorb everything. They walked to the front door and Christine thanked Meg profusely for her friendship and help.

"Remember, confidence is key," Meg reminded.

"Got it," Christine said with a genuine grin. It seemed like a lifetime since she'd shown a true smile. They said their goodbye's and Christine stood still at the door, her thoughts on what was to come.

"Christine," came a voice from behind her.

She turned and saw both of her parents standing in the doorway of the living room. "Hey," she greeted awkwardly. Christine hadn't spoken much to them since the talk they'd had in the living room.

"We'd like to talk to you," her father said, his voice low.

Christine had a feeling this was going to be about Robert. He'd probably told them what had transpired in the bedroom. "Ok." They went to sit down in the living room.

"I guess things with Meg went well?" her mother asked.

They'd obviously been spying. "Yeah, we talked things through. She's accepting of everything." _Unlike either of you..._

Norah sighed before continuing, "Your father and I have been talking a lot. We just... We're concerned. Please don't think we're the bad guys in this. As I said, we're just concerned. You claim to be in love with the man who kidnapped you. I- it's crazy, Christine. It's just plain crazy."

_Here we go again, _she thought. "Look, I know it's hard to understand. I didn't understand it at first. But... Sometimes love isn't understandable. It just... is there. I can't help my feelings and I can't change them. I love Erik. Yes, he took me away from you.. He imprisoned me and refused to let me go. But he did all of it out of love. He didn't think there was any other way. His life has been a living hell. Seriously. I have it written down and I'm going to explain it all in court."

"You are?" John asked. Christine nodded. "And you really think it will.. help?"

"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."

"I'd like to hear it," Norah suddenly said. She looked at John and shrugged. "It couldn't hurt."

Christine was holding the stapled papers. Her mother was right, it couldn't hurt to read what she and Meg had come up with. Actually, it would serve as good practice.

She proceeded to read the words aloud hoping her parents would let her read it through without interruption. If she could convince them with this, then maybe she really would stand a chance in court.

Norah and John listened intently to their daughter. It took about ten minutes to say and, when she finished, there was silence.

Christine glanced up at her parents hesitantly looking for any sign of change. Their brows were furrowed in thought. _That can't be good... _

"Well," Norah began. "What you said was... thorough. His past sounds really terrible."

"Yeah," Christine agreed with a nod.

"He was a thief?" John asked, still trying to take it all in.

"Yes. His mother taught him that stealing was the only way to survive. She was wrong. Dead wrong. She was a horrible parent. But she was all Erik had at the time."

"And he stole you because he thought it was the only way."

"It sounds like he needs professional help." Norah's hands fell to her sides. "You say he learned his lesson, but I think he needs intense therapy. Perhaps it would be.. beneficial."

"Wait... You want to help him?" Christine asked slowly.

They looked at each other before John said, "We've talked this through a lot. You love him. You see something good inside him. And you trust him. We obviously can't change that. We don't approve of what he did. Really, how could we? But, we would consider rethinking things if he would agree to therapy."

"After everything you just said, it sounds like he needs it," Norah continued. "And maybe you need it, too."

Tears came to Christine's eyes. She never thought they would step down from wanting him to go to prison. She never thought they would change their minds. And therapy? Well, they were right. It would be beneficial for both of them.

Their words were like a dream. A really good dream.

"Therapy would be good, yeah," she said, holding back tears of relief. "You're absolutely right about that. But... What does all of this mean?" She waited on bated breath.

"Well, we're going to talk it over with the lawyer," John explained. "If things go according to plan, Erik will be sent to court-appointed therapy." He paused before adding, "We'll see what happens from there."

Christine let out the breath she was holding, barely believing this. She gazed at them. "I can't thank you enough. Both of you. You won't regret your decision, I promise."

They looked doubtful, but Norah slightly nodded nonetheless. She finally stood and hugged her daughter tightly. "We just want what's best for you, sweet heart. We love you so much."

"I love you guys, too." Christine couldn't help but cry some. She hugged her father and thanked them again.

"I think it's time for you get some sleep," John said, ruffling his daughter's hair affectionately.

Nodding, Christine made sure to say, "I know I'm going to sleep better now," before hugging them one more time and leaving the room.

* * *

Lying in bed, Christine looked up at the ceiling. _Everything is working out now... Mom, Dad, and Meg are on my side. Who would've thought? _

_I only wish I could talk to Erik..._

Remembering how he'd acted during their brief phone conversation, though, Christine had a feeling it was going to take a lot more than simply telling her story to get him to believe her and be on her side.

There was still work to be done. She closed her eyes and fell into a nice, peaceful slumber, one she hadn't experienced in quite some time.

* * *

**I can't even begin to relay to you how sorry I am for the long wait... Truly, I am SO sorry. Life has been busy, hectic, stressful, etc. I know this is a short update, and I'm also really sorry for that. I've had some major writer's block with this story.**

**I wouldn't be surprised if none of you have stuck with me. If you have, however, I thank you so much ahead of time. **

**I have missed FFN.**

**Thank you,**

**-Lauren**


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

It was cold out, and not just because of the winter season. In fact, it should have felt warm considering the car heater was on. But Christine was cold, and getting colder. Perhaps it was due to her nerves as she peered out the car window and caught sight of their destination for the first time.

She and her parents were driving, her father at the wheel. They were slowly approaching the front gate of a very intimidating looking prison. Christine gulped. Her thoughts were of nothing but Erik. _He's in there? And he's had to survive in there for over a week? _

Now that she was finally seeing it first-hand, she was getting more and more worried. Erik had been an inmate for nine days now. It had taken that long to convince her parents to let her visit him. They'd finally agreed, but only as long as they were with her. And now Christine understood at least part of the reason why they wanted to be with her.

The prison looked incredibly unsafe.

That wasn't what was worrying Christine, though. She was truly concerned for Erik's well-being. Her biggest concern was his physical state. What if officers had forced him to take off his mask..and leave it off? She couldn't even imagine how horrible that would be for him to have to endure.

Christine was expecting the worst. Now that she was truly seeing this place, she wouldn't be surprised if Erik's personality had changed irreversibly from the man she knew and loved.

She could only hope he was ok...if anyone could be ok in prison.

"Are you ready?" Norah asked, turning in the passenger's seat to look at her daughter. "You look nervous. We don't have to do this, you know."

_I have to stay strong. _"I'm just worried about Erik, that's all." Her mother huffed in disapproval, but Christine ignored it. "I mean, look at this place. It's..frightening."

"Yes, well, it's prison. What did you expect?" John grumbled while opening his car door.

Christine was well aware of the fact that her parents still didn't approve. Just because they were finally beginning to believe that she was in love with Erik didn't at all mean that they were pleased by it. Christine had hoped, up until now, that seeing and talking to him would change their minds, but now she was unsure. Prison had bad effects on people.

But could Erik be the exception?

* * *

The coldness that Christine felt outside didn't compare to the coldness inside.

In a certain cell, lying on a miserably uncomfortable cot, Erik Destler stared up at the ceiling. He did this often. Most times, no one bothered him. He assumed the mask had something to do with it. Other inmates were apt to avoid approaching someone who was allowed to wear a mask. Their fair assumption was that there had to be something truly gruesome underneath it that even the guards didn't wish to see.

And they were right.

Not only was it the mask, though. In the time Erik had been there, he had 'proven himself', so to speak. To survive in such a place meant that you had to appear intimidating to other inmates who only wanted to wreck havoc.

It had been simple, really. Back when he'd first arrived, Erik had made a point to locate the most intimidating inmate in the building, the one that others didn't mess with. And then he'd 'played the game'.

Erik had always been a very persuasive, smart man, so it was all too easy to reduce the previously most intimidating male in the prison to someone afraid to even look at him.

Making the toughest criminal in the place scared of him had solved all of his problems. Erik was allowed to keep to himself.

With his brain as his only companion, Erik spent hours mulling over the phone conversation he'd had with Christine. He still couldn't understand. Perhaps he would never receive any answers. And perhaps his unanswered questions would really drive him to insanity.

This kind of torture was exactly what he deserved- Christine's undeserved and unexplainable proclamation of love resounding in his head over and over again.

"Destler," came a harsh voice from outside his locked cell. It was Frank the guard, of course. "Yes?" Erik asked softly without care.

"You've got visitors." Frank's cold tone made it clear that he detested his own words.

Erik assumed it be be his court-appointed lawyer and sighed. He'd met with him once before and had hated every minute of it. "Tell Drew that I do not wish to see him."

Frank's teeth gritted, already hating what he was about to say. "It's not the lawyer." There was silence. "It's the girl you kidnapped, Christine. And her parents. I've got no idea why they'd want to see you, but anyway.." There was more silence. "Well? Do you want to see them or not?" he spat impatiently.

Erik unsteadily got to his feet feeling that he could pass out at any given moment. "Are you...toying with me?"

"...I wish I was."

With that, Erik said, "Yes, I will see them."

They walked down several halls towards the visitation room. Erik didn't know what to think. Was this a dream? Was it a blessing? A curse? Or was it some kind of sick joke? He didn't know. He didn't know anything anymore. Nothing made sense.

Suddenly, the door to the visitation room was right in front of them. Erik could barely breathe. Behind that door would be the love of his life...

Frank opened the door and Erik's eyes took in the most utterly breathtakingly beautiful sight- his wife.

If this really was a dream, Erik never wished to wake up.

* * *

**Uhh, surprise? An update...finally. I am so, so sorry for the long wait. I've had some MAJOR writer's block with this story. Oh how I _hate_ writer's block!**

**I hope this was enjoyable.**

**Thanks for reading :-)**

**-Lauren**


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Erik was shaking as he sat in an empty seat at the table. Christine was across from him and her parents were on either side. He looked out straight ahead, but the moment his and Christine's eyes met, he found he had to look away. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve any of it.

He couldn't look at her parents either, especially not them. In fact, he was very surprised Christine's father wasn't beating him up for what he had done. This entire meeting was shocking.

Christine was just so glad to see him. She was incredibly relieved. He was still wearing his mask. They hadn't forced him to take it off as she had feared. He did look like he had lost some weight, though, and that was concerning since he had already been so skinny.

She knew she needed to say something to take away the awkwardness. He was probably so confused... She didn't really know how to begin, but finally decided upon asking, "How are you?"

To hear her voice again... And it was so close to him, _she _was so close to him. Erik still couldn't look at her, his eyes downcast. "Fine," he whispered in reply.

Looking from both of her parents and back to Erik, Christine said, "You don't have to put on an act, Erik. You can't be fine in a place like this." Perhaps her parents would seem less hostile if she were to get him to tell the truth.

Erik's eyes closed. He felt like crying and begging their forgiveness. This would probably be his only chance... But.. Why were they here? To get an apology? Or was there something more they wanted? "I suppose it is not pleasant, but.. it's what I deserve."

Good, good! His honest words were encouraging to Christine. Maybe they would actually get somewhere.

John Daae finally decided to speak. "Are you just saying that because Christine is sitting across from you? To please her?"

His tone seemed aggressive, but Christine didn't say anything to calm him down. They'd discussed this and they had made an agreement. If her parents were to ever trust Erik, it required that they could and would say whatever they pleased during this meeting. Also, Christine felt the need to know Erik's answer, as well, to be reassured.

Erik might have been surprised by this entire visitation, but he wasn't surprised by John Daae's hostile tone. He finally looked at them, from Norah to John. "I can assure all three of you that I am telling the truth."

He didn't deserve to speak to them, but truth be told, this was like an answered prayer. "This may be the only chance I have to apologize for my actions. I can never truly relay how I am for committing such a heinous crime. To have kidnapped you..." He paused, his sad eyes finding Christine's for a moment. He swallowed, his mouth dry with guilt. "Is something that cannot be undone.

"I wish I could take it back, all of it," he said. "I came to realize how wrong I was, but it was too late. The damage is irreversible."

Norah decided to speak then, her eyes narrowed. "How can we ever truly believe you, though? How can we know for sure that you regret what you did?"

He could feel the intensity of their stares. Erik now knew what this meeting was about. It was an interrogation to get him to affirm their accusations, to make him tell a lie in order to confirm that they should remain angry. Perhaps lying and allowing them to hate him for his crimes forever more was what he deserved, but Erik couldn't simply let them believe something that wasn't true. "I know it is difficult to believe a word I am saying, but if you will allow it, I would like to explain."

John caught his eye and nodded once.

Erik knew he couldn't look down while talking, no matter how tempting it was to do so. They deserved eye contact from him in order to feel his honesty. His eyes moved from John to Norah to Christine as he began. "I was thinking of no one but myself when I kidnapped you. I wished to sate my repulsive desires. After living what I thought was an unfair life, I felt I deserved some happiness. I believed you would solve all of my problems and I also had the deranged idea that you would one day learn to be happy with me.

"Time and time again I attempted to control you. I forced you to be near me, I forced you to marry me, I forced you to wear my ring... All the while I thought my actions would change you. But they didn't. You remained adament and strong, and I remained stubborn. It wasn't until I drove you to a post office that everything changed. I was going to let you mail a letter addressed to you both."

His eyes moved from John to Norah. "But when I stopped the car, you fled. You ran away before I could stop you. I believe you experienced the first signs of Stockholme Syndrome while in the woods, and that is what caused you to come back. For a week, you seemed blissfully happy with me. And I, in an unforgiveable manner, allowed it to continue.

"It was one morning a week later that you became yourself again. You were frightened and angry, as you had every right to be. And you fled from me again to the room I called your bedroom."

Erik's eyes lingered on Christine as he finally arrived at the most important part. "It was while sitting alone in my room analyzing your behaviors that something inside of me suddenly snapped. I finally understood. I could never control you and I could never make you happy. I had taken away the life you once loved. I had worried countless people. I had committed the ultimate crime. It had to stop. I knew what I had done was completely wrong. You had been right the entire time. My thinking had been skewed from the beginning. I knew I had to take you back. You deserved happiness, love, and light. I had kept you in the dark."

He finally sighed knowing his explanation wasn't enough. It could never be enough. "I can never forgive myself for what I did, as I know none of you can either. But, I just wanted to...explain, while I had the chance."

Feeling that he'd said enough and taken up more than enough of their time, Erik began to stand.

Christine's sudden words stopped him in his tracks, though. "Don't go, Erik." She sounded desperate. "Please don't go. Sit back down."

He could deny her nothing and slowly sank back onto the chair.

"I have a question for you," John said. "Do you love my daughter?"

Erik froze, the question catching him off guard. He was not expecting to hear that at all. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, unsure of how he should answer.

"It's ok," Norah said reassuringly. "You can tell us the truth."

Her words were surprising, too. Erik's heart was hammering in his chest as he looked from John to Norah with questioning eyes. Then his eyes found Christine who nodded encouragingly. "Yes. Yes, I do love your daughter."

The three Daae's looked at each other. Christine observed the first signs of acceptance, although it was a bit reluctant, in their eyes. Extremely pleased with their expressions, she smiled before looking into Erik's eyes, attempting to convey her complete and utter sincerity as she said, "I love you, too."


End file.
